Thank you all!
Ninth chapter: Higher idea
Apparently the whole meeting was part of some weird high secret mission because it took almost an hour and one strange trip with a car before Iceland arrived to an old office building with the agents. The nation looked around and tried to figure out exactly where they were, but the humans seemed to be familiar with the place because they didn't bother to see around. They just walked inside without using a single moment to tell the nation what place it was. Iceland shrugged and decided not to ask. He was quite sure he was still somewhere in Copenhagen, maybe in the suburb parts, and so long that he was at least somewhere in the Nordic, he would need to do only a single phone call to find his way back to home.
The agents didn't say anything, only leaded the nation to almost empty room. It seemed that the place was rarely used, or it had been emptied for this day, but that wasn't the reason why Iceland was surprised when he stepped in. He was more confused about the fact that the familiar puffin was sitting there like nothing was wrong. Iceland gave him a questioning look and glanced at the humans to see if they looked surprised. They didn't.
"Good, he is going to arrive soon", Kristfríður said after noticing the bird.
"Arrive?" Iceland asked, because in his point of view agent Puffin was already there. Of course for somebody else every single puffin looked same but Iceland saw the difference and he knew that it was too big coincidence that his puffin just happened to be there.
"Yes", the woman said with a nod and without noticing the suspicious look the nation was giving to the bird, "his security level is so high that we normal agents are not allowed to meet him. He uses this trained puffin to deliver messages and inform us about his situation." Iceland glanced at the puffin again and held back a sigh. It seemed that his puffin had been doing some business behind his back. Somehow he wasn't even surprised.
"We will wait you outside", Jöfur said and they both simply turned and walked away. Iceland didn't speak until he heard the metal door closing after the humans.
"So agent Puffin, huh?" the nation asked and raised his brow, "does anybody know you are a bird?"
"Hell no", the bird replied and laughed in his weird way, "I am the great agent Puffin! Nobody knows my true identity."
"Except me", Iceland noted and the bird gave him a sharp look.
"Yeah, usually I should kill everybody who finds out", he said, "but you will just fucking pop up again and your brothers are freaking scary so I don't bother. You may live."
"I feel so loved", Iceland muttered, but he had already got used for his bird's harsh attitude so he didn't mind, "is my home still okay?"
"Your home? Your home!" Puffin yelled and raised his wings, "Icey boy, we haven't met for weeks and first thing you ask is about your home!"
"So you wrecked it."
"Not really", Puffin said, "but just out of curiosity, how many new windows you can afford?"
"What have you done?"
"I said 'just out of curiosity'!" the bird yelled, "come on, stop blaming others. They don't like it."
"Okay", Iceland sighed, "I can't really afford any."
"Too bad for you then", the bird said but refused to explain more. Iceland knew that it would be useless to ask more from the stubborn Puffin so he only sighed and changed the topic.
"So did you have any real reasons for this meeting?" he asked.
"I had", the bird said and nodded.
"So?"
"You know, Icey boy", Puffin said and took few steps around on the table he was standing on, "your boss realized that you haven't pick up your last courses yet." Iceland knew what the bird meant. He had picked up the mandatory courses from the list a long time ago but additionally there were the last 15 credits he should use for elective courses. So far he hadn't been interested enough to take a look in course catalogue.
"So what?" Iceland said.
"Well, he had an idea and so here I am! Telling you that idea", the bird said and laughed again. Iceland grimaced because honestly, last time when his boss had an idea it hadn't been good for the nation. Or well, the actual nation was doing okay but the personification wasn't so sure about himself.
"What kind of idea?" Iceland asked because it was probably best just to face it than try to escape, "and why he is not here himself?"
"He is busy", Puffin said with a nod.
"With what?"
"Work", the bird simply said, "you know. All the important business and things you are not doing currently. Making trades, trying to ban pineapple pizzas and leading the people. Boring stuff, you know."
"Okay, I got it", Iceland muttered, "can you now tell me what that idea was?"
"Oh yeah", Puffin said, "you should do 15 credits in practice."
"Practice? What you mean?" Iceland asked because he wasn't really following. Did they want him to do something else now? Wasn't studying already enough?
"It means that you go to place where people work, creepily follow them around and figure out how they do stuff", the bird explained, "come on, Icey boy, you are smart enough for this."
"I know what practice means!" Iceland said almost angrily but calmed himself quickly, "but what it means exactly in this case?"
"It still means that you gotta go and see how people work."
"Puffin!"
"Hah, okay", the bird laughed, "the deal is this, you work with your crazy brothers for two months and you get 15 credits. Nice, right?"
"No, no", Iceland said quickly and even took a step back, "I'm not going to do that!" It was already enough that he was living with them and they were almost constantly keeping him on eye in case the stress became too much. He was not going to be also supervised by them during a work.
"Come on, think the good sides", the bird said, "it will be an easy job, like same stuff you have been doing forever, and you don't need to go to boring classes. You said you hate classes!" Iceland had to admit that it was right. He had complained about those during the couple of times he had visited his country for the past few months. Also, it wasn't like his brothers hadn't been teaching him before. They had been using centuries to make sure that Iceland grew up to be a good nation.
"Okay", Iceland sighed, "but why?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Puffin asked, "they sent you to that freaking school so you will learn stuff or something. What would be better than learn the nation stuff from older nations?"
"I am a real nation too", Iceland reminded him.
"Yeah sure you are", Puffin said, "but just think about it. How much is your population?"
"About 330 000", Iceland said automatically.
"So, who is next smallest Nordic? Norway?"
"Yeah."
"How much people he has?"
"It's around 5,3 million", Iceland replied with a shrug.
"So, you see", puffin said, "you are tiny. Tiny and cute."
"Stop that!" the Icelander ordered because the tone the bird was using wasn't really nice. Like normally, the puffin only laughed at the nation's command.
"You gotta go to them and learn stuff", he said with challenging tone, "just do it."
"But they have been training me for years", the Icelander argued, "what more they can show me?"
"Dunno", the bird said, "but it had been like hundred years when you had a lesson with them last time. World has changed, Icey boy, and you should try to hold on." Iceland crossed his arms and, though he wasn't really happy, he had to admit that there was some truth in the bird's words. After a brief, stubborn silence, he nodded.
"I'll think about it", he promised and gave the puffin a suspicious glance, "why you are on their side?"
"Pffft, I don't take sides!" the bird declared, "I'm just helping you out."
"Really?"
"Yeah, I'm your fairy godmother or some shit like that", the bird said and moved its wings few times, "so, anything new happened?"
They ended up exchanging the news for few hours more and, though Iceland often threated to eat the foulmouthed bird, he realized that actually he had missed Puffin's company. It was weird to listen to a bird that could somehow talk and had been alive far longer than birds were supposed to be able to live, but as an immortal personification, Iceland couldn't really say what was weird and what was not. When he finally glanced at the clock and realized that it was already late, he remembered that those two agents were still waiting for him to finish the meeting. With few last words he wished Puffin nice fly back to Reykjavik, and left.
Kristfríður and Jöfur both told him that they hadn't mind the long wait. They had simply played card and listened some music, and they were anywhere used for waiting during their missions. Iceland had a bad feeling that following the Danish nation had made them become so patient but he didn't dare to ask any details.
They drove him back to home and wished good night with smiles. When they were gone, Iceland realized that he felt slightly upset. It took him a while to figure out that the feeling came simply from the fact that he missed his people. Danes were not too different but they didn't act or talk like Icelanders and Iceland missed it. He missed the feeling of familiar words in his mouth and people he knew. It was more natural to speak Danish in Denmark's land and with his classmates he always spoke in English so there hadn't been many chances to speak his own language. While he climbed the stairs up, he wondered if Norway and Denmark would be willing to speak Icelandic with him. He knew they were fluent, though they both had slightly old fashioned way to speak it.
It was already well past midnight so Iceland tried to be quiet with stepping in the apartment. He had informed his brother and Denmark about the meeting so they hadn't try to contact him, but still Iceland wasn't surprised to see their bed room's door open. They usually always closed it and, though lights were switched off and there was no noise telling that the nations were awake, Iceland knew that at least one troll was watching over the apartment and probably had orders to wake up the Norwegian whenever the Icelander showed up.
Iceland walked quietly around and stopped for a moment to look at the older nations. There wasn't much light but they had left curtains open and the light coming outside was enough to see the sleeping figures. They both looked calm and Denmark was lying on his belly while Norway slept on his side. They were not too close to each other, the room was too warm to sleep skin to skin, but the Norwegian had reached his hand for the Dane and held it on his back. It looked like he was unconsciously making sure that the man wouldn't go anywhere while he slept. Iceland was just turning around to go to his own room when he noticed that Norway had opened his eyes and was staring at him.
"Welcome to home", the man whispered and moved a bit so he could see the Icelander better over the Dane, "was the meeting about anything important?" Iceland sighed, but he knew Norway wouldn't wait until the morning. So he gave up about going sleeping right away and stepped in the room.
"Puffin was bringing some news", he said and sat down on the floor, leaning his back against the bed frame, "Nore, can I ask something from you?" The Norwegian frowned, but nodded and moved a bit so he was half lying on the Dane's back. Denmark didn't seem to care about that because he stirred only a bit and rubbed his cheek against the pillow.
"You can always ask anything you want", the Norwegian said.
"Okay", Iceland said and hesitated just a moment, "can you speak Icelandic for me?" Norway didn't seem to be surprised about the question. He only smiled softly and reached his hand to ruffle the Icelander's hair.
"Of course, brother", he said with his soft Icelandic, "anything for you. Are you missing home?"
"A bit", Iceland admitted. It was easy to admit things in middle of night in the darkness.
"That is okay", Norway replied, "we all miss home sometime."
"So I have heard", Iceland murmured. They had been speaking with low voices, but Denmark had still waked up and he yawned a bit when turning to look at the Icelander.
"Are we speaking Icelandic now?" he asked with a sleepy voice but still switching the language almost automatically. His Icelandic was more accented than Norway's, but he could still speak it fine.
"Yes", Norway simply replied.
"Good", Denmark mumbled, "everything alright, Is?"
"Yeah", Iceland replied, "my boss just had a new idea." He saw both nations flinching a bit and suddenly they were both fully focused on Iceland. He could understand the reason for that. After all, having a boss coming up with new ideas hadn't always been good for the nations and they both had had their share of bad leaders. Of course they knew that Iceland was a democratic nation so they shouldn't be too worried, but even a slight possibility of problems was too much.
"Which kind of idea?" Norway asked with a slightly cold and serious voice.
"Relax, it wasn't anything horrible", Iceland said, "he just noticed that I haven't picked up some courses yet and he wanted to suggests that I do those in practice."
"I see", the Norwegian said and relaxed again, "which kind of practice?" Iceland hesitated for a moment but because he had already start to talk and so far lying hasn't take him anywhere, he decided just to get over it at once.
"He said I should do it with you two", he explained, "to learn to be a better nation or so." The older nations didn't reply right away but Iceland knew they were thinking about it.
"I like that idea", Norway finally replied and Denmark nodded.
"There are still lot of things I didn't have time to teach you because of that damn war", the Dane muttered, "you still don't know how to write a passive-aggressive letter to a Swede."
"Um, I'm not sure if I need to know that", Iceland admitted, "and don't get too excited. I'm still only thinking about it.
"Of course", Norway said and patted the Dane's shoulder, "don't get excited, Dan."
"But I want to", Denmark whined, though he sounded like he was going to fall asleep in any moment. Norway chuckled and gave the Icelander a sleepy smile.
"We'll support you no matter what you decide", he said, "my little brother."
"Yeah, thanks", Iceland muttered. Because both nations looked like they wanted to get back to sleep and Iceland was tired too, he got up from the floor and murmured good night to the men. They replied, still using Icelandic, and Norway rolled on his back while Denmark seemed to just simply fell asleep where he was. Iceland stopped briefly at the door and looked back to the nations who always embarrassed him but also protected and had raised him. He actually cared about them a lot, though he didn't want to admit that too many times.
"I love you", he whispered because he suddenly simply felt like he should say it. They probably didn't even hear him, the Icelander though and walked to his own room. After he had closed his door, Norway opened his eyes again and turned to look at the Dane next to him.
"Did you hear that?" he asked with un-normally excited voice. Denmark kept his eyes closed, but his smirk was a clear sign of him being still awake.
"Yeah", he said while Norway pushed his face on the pillow and tried to calm down from the sudden and over-helming brotherly feelings. The Dane laughed softly and patted his back.
"We love him too", he murmured. Norway replied something but the man's voice was muted by the pillow so Denmark didn't really hear what he tried to tell. He could still easily guess, so he simply turned and wrapped his arm over the nation before falling into peaceful dreams.
The practice (or internship, if you want to call it like that. I use word practice because that's how it's called in Uni) was the new idea.
Just a random thing: I love to write my OTPs sleeping. Like there is lot of fics where they do everything else than sleep and then here I am like "oh nou, babies are working so much! They need lot of rest and good sleep and little cuddling too because they are so precious."
I was honestly surprised when I checked the populations of Nordic countries and realized that Norway has second smallest. Finland's population is 5,6 million and I was so sure others have more but no. Denmark is second largest and it's about 5,7 and then there is Sweden with about 9,8 million. The total population in Nordic countries is around 27 million.
I was feeling slightly weird with making Iceland saying "I love you" because here that phrase is usually only for lovers, though you can also say it to a family member or good friends. Personally I usually say "I care about you" when I meant to say that I love my friends or family, but it doesn't sound same in English so yeah.
In case somebody is wondering: In Denmark master studies are done in two years. During the first year the students will so most of the courses, leaving only 15 credits elective courses and Thesis for the last year. Each year has four blocks which are each about 2 months long. So, Iceland had now had exams twice which means it's currently beging of February. There was Christmas but I skipped (forgot) it. Chrismas holiday is only about one week long anyway and some idiot decided that the block will carry over it so it doesn't feel like holiday.