Thank you all!
Time Turner: I update usually every weekend and occassionally also during the week if I have time to write and enough inspiration :)
I don't think I ever mentioned anything about the classmates being in the Secret service... At least I never planned that. It might be that I worded some sentence wrong and so gave that idea. But they are not in the Secret service. They are just normal people.
I have been a bit lazy lately so I came up just a filler chapter in order to get the plot at least somewhere. I don't want to miss a weekend update so for sure I hope I'll get a better inspiration for the next week!
And btw, big thanks for everybody reviewing and faving the Dragon AU oneshot :) I'm now working on with another piece for the same AU.
Tenth chapter: Higher decision
Iceland didn't really care about going anywhere during the week long holiday after exams, so he spent few first days mostly inside and went through all the reports he had got from his land. It was so much paper work that the nation had printed out it all and spread all over the living room in order to be able to get the complete view. Norway misused his system without any shame by quietly sitting in the living room and reading the papers too. After few hours Iceland realized what he was doing.
"Nore?" he asked and gave the Norwegian a long stare.
"Hm?"
"What you think you are doing?" Iceland asked and lowered the monthly economy report he had been reading. Most of it was lying on his lap and he had a note book tugged behind his back in case he needed to take any notes or check the older ones.
"Just checking", Norway replied without stopping reading.
"Can't you check your own stuff?" Iceland asked, "or Dan's?"
"I have done that already", Norway calmly replied and finally glanced at his brother, "do you want me to stop?" Iceland wanted to say yes, but he had a feeling that it would not make the Norwegian actually stop keeping his business on eye. Also, the papers he was reading were the ones that would be later published in internet and made available for anybody who was curious enough to actually read something that boring. Norway had carefully picked up only the documents that held nothing secret or private so Iceland guessed that he was still respecting the Icelander's privacy even if he was way too interested about the things.
"I guess you will do that anyway", he muttered with a shrug and Norway smirked slightly before focusing on the papers again. He didn't comment anything or showed any of his thoughts on his face. He only read and after finishing one paper, he picked up another and continued. After while it started really bugging the Icelander but not because he didn't like the Norwegian spying his business. Actually he was only annoyed by the fact that Norway didn't say anything. For an hour Iceland managed to keep it inside but then he gave up.
"Nore?"
"Hm?"
"Why you don't say anything?" he asked. Norway glanced at him but the paper he was holding hided is expression.
"Should I?" he asked back.
"Well, you are reading my papers", Iceland said and gestured at the pile of papers near the Norwegian, "I'm sure you have noted at least something."
"Indeed I have", the Norwegian replied calmly, "pages 14, 21, 36 and 52 has writing mistakes and I have to say that the grammar on this one paragraph is horrible but luckily the conclusion is still understandable." Iceland gave him a long look but Norway simply replied with a perfect poker face.
"You are really annoying, you know", the Icelander said dryly which made the Norwegian chuckle softly. The voice gained Denmark's attention and curiously the Dane peeked around the corner. He had been cleaning the kitchen, but mostly only because it was raining outside and he was bored.
"Are you doing something funny?" he asked with a smile and hoping that they were because cleaning the kitchen was a boring task to do.
"Yeah, Nore thinks being annoying is fun", Iceland replied.
"I think it is fun to see you annoyed", Denmark claimed and grinned. Iceland stared at the two nations and slowly shook his head.
"I think I understand now why you are together", he said, "idiots." Denmark laughed and collapsed on the couch next to the Icelander. He almost knocked some papers on the floor but managed to somehow catch them all and shove on the table.
"We should do something funny", he declared, "it is a holiday week!"
"It is Island's holiday week", Norway corrected him, "you should still work, Dan."
"But I can have fun too", the Dane said with a smile, "I know what we should do! Bakken opens tomorrow!"
"I'm not sure if it's enjoyable to go out to ab amusement park when it's raining", Norway replied but it didn't stop the Dane.
"It will not rain tomorrow", he promised, "let's go there!" Norway shrugged and glanced at the Icelander who had dropped the papers on his laps and was yawning. He was getting tired of thinking all the numbers and trying to find anything that was possibly wrong.
"What you think Is?" the Norwegian man asked, "want to go to Bakken to see how Dan acts like a kid?"
"Sure, whatever", Iceland replied with a shrug he didn't want to admit it but sitting inside all day was making him restless and it was usually fun to go out with Norway and Denmark. Especially because Norway would pay everything and that was the excuse Iceland usually used when somebody asked why he hanged out with the older Nordics. No way was he going to admit that it was actually fun to see Denmark getting excited about pretty much anything or listening when Norway suddenly remembered a story or memory from the past and decided to share it. Of course he only went because it benefits him.
So they went to Bakken and it was fun. Next day they went to the beach, though Norway said multiple times that it was too cold to go to the beach but Denmark wanted to do it they went. It was surprising unusual for Norway to deny anything from the Dane. It often looked like he did that all the time but usually he simply made the Dane reconsider his decision and didn't try to stop him doing whatever he wanted to do. However nothing was stopping him nagging at the Dane later if it turned out that the ideas had not been so good ones.
After the beach Denmark was sick, apparently swimming in sea hadn't been a good idea, so they stayed in and watched movies. Next day the Dane was up and going again, which meant he actually ran when his assistant came over to ask if he was ready to return to work. He didn't go far, because Norway and Iceland were going to work and happily used his office for that. After Denmark realized that, he showed up and worked through all the stuff he had been putting on side. He was actually really good with his duties and finished them fast with a good quality once he set on doing them.
Denmark's office was cramped but somehow they all three still fitted in fine. Iceland had taken a table at the corner so he could have more own place, and Norway and Denmark were sharing the desk. They both had laptops, phones and some notes with them and they were focused on their own work. So far that Iceland knew, Denmark was checking on some new legislation suggestions from the politics in order to give his opinion about them to the parliament, and Norway was preparing a speech he was going to have in two weeks. Iceland was still going through the reports but for a while he stopped and just looked at the older nations. He could remember seeing them working together before too, though this was the first time when laptops or any kind of technology was involved. In Iceland's memories they sat in candle's light and wrote letters to their leaders or made plans they could suggest to humans. Few times Iceland had been taken with them to the meetings and there he had often seen Denmark discussing with all the important people while Norway stood behind him and secretly told him with small gestures what he thought about things said during the meeting. Iceland could swear sometime the Norwegian had been also sitting and speaking with others. He guessed it had depended on how the leaders had been thinking about him. But just like back then, they worked together perfectly.
"Nor, take a look on this", Denmark said and poked the Norwegian's side to get his attention. Norway kindly glanced up from his work and turned to look at Denmark's laptop. After a while he chuckled softly.
"Sounds like something straight from 1840", he noted.
"Isn't it?" Denmark agreed and grinned, "I'm gonna tell that to them. Can I say you agreed with me?"
"If you really want to", Norway said with a slightly amused look on his face.
"Yeah, it sounds much better if I say you told me so", the Dane said with a nod, "how your work is going?"
"It's good", Norway said, "I had a similar speech in another meeting a while ago so I'm just adjusting it a bit."
"Cool", Denmark said, "wanna read it for me later?"
"Sure, that might help", the Norwegian agreed.
"It helps me a lot when I read everything to you first!"
"That is because you get your inspiration from weird places and it make you write rather strange speeches", the Norwegian noted, "like that one you came up with last spring. I still don't understand what made you use a paper from 16th as a model and why did you had to write it with Old Danish."
"It felt like a good idea when I was going around in the archives", Denmark said with a shrug, "and at the end everybody loved it! They said it had a nice ancient ring on it."
"Because it was ancient."
"But still good."
"I bet they didn't even understand more than half of it", Norway noted and smirked, "even I had to stop to think few times when I was listening you reading it." Denmark didn't seem to be sad about the critic because he simply smiled and continued being just as cheerful he usually was.
"Should we have break?" he asked with a smile.
"I think that would be a good idea", Norway agreed and glanced at his brother, "Is had been staring at us and doing nothing already for a while."
"I wasn't staring", the Icelander claimed right away and felt slightly embarrassed about his brother noticing it. To show his point, he turned to look at the opposite wall instead.
"Hey, it is nothing to be shamed about", Denmark said with a grin, "we are so awesome that everybody stares at us."
"It also might have something to do with the fact that you are too loud", Norway noted and started to close up his laptop. Denmark was also collecting his papers so it wouldn't look like he had abounded his work, and the mess would be a bit better under the control.
"So why they stare also when I don't say anything?"
"It is simply because that happens only once in decade", Norway replied, "they are surprised."
"And checking if you are still alive", Iceland muttered and Norway laughed softly. They didn't bother with taking their stuff with them because nobody would be fool enough to try to take something from Denmark's office and they didn't have need for phones or laptops during a break.
"So, you two are now teaming up against me, huh?" Denmark asked when they walked down the hallway. He tried to pretend to be offended but the laugh in his voice made it impossible for other nations to believe in his hurt look.
"I believe a correct word would be teamed up", Norway said slyly, "we did that years ago, right brother?"
"Yeah", Iceland replied.
"Well, in that case I will have to call my allies to help me against you", Denmark claimed. Some people they passed gave them a weird looks but Iceland was pretty sure that was only because they were still speaking Icelandic instead of Danish that was more common there. The older nations had just picked it up after Iceland asked them and hadn't yet switched back to their native languages. It made Iceland feel better though he wasn't sure if he deserved so kind act from other Nordics. After all he had lied a lot just a while ago.
"Isn't Nore like your only ally?" the Icelander asked instead of mentioning anything about the language.
"I have others too", Denmark said, "Fin. He will help me."
"You know that whatever Fin does, Sve will want to get involved", Norway noted, "which means that your alliance will fail."
"So you hope", Denmark said with a grin. They continued their chatting all way to cafeteria and over their break until Norway had to almost run for an online meeting with his boss and Denmark had to continue his work too. Iceland was almost done with his duties for a while so he spent rest of the day mostly just thinking about his decisions. He was afraid that Puffin was right after all.
After several weeks Iceland was again sitting in the class with his classmates. They had just ended the first part of the lecture and were currently patiently waiting that the teacher got the technology working. Iceland had never figured it out but it seemed like when humans passed a certain age, they suddenly lost their ability to work with computers. He wondered if nations had that age too and, if they had, when it would come. Maybe he should start to keep Denmark on eye just in case because he was oldest out of them five. Of course he would do that only because it would be hilarious to see him struggling with YouTube videos, not because he was worried.
"Hey, have you been thinking about the next year?" Julia suddenly asked, "we have to soon pick up courses for those 15 elective credits."
"I already decided that I will take the project course we heard about last week", Tomas said. Iceland didn't remember hearing about any project course but it was probably only because he rarely went to any extra meetings where they told things like that.
"I haven't picked up anything yet", Claus said, "but I have a list."
"Gonna get in the same courses with Julia?" Tomas asked innocently. Claus and Julia hadn't been dating long but it seemed to be going on well.
"I dunno", Claus said, "she likes different stuff."
"And it's not smart to choose a course only because you like the people there", Julia continued and rolled her eyes, "what about you, Erik?" Iceland had been thinking about it and more he thought, more he liked the idea of doing the practice Puffin had talked about. He had been following Norway and Denmark few times and for his surprise he had found out that they didn't do their work like he did. They seemed often base their advices and speeches on something that had happened before. Iceland did that too occasionally but he had simply less experience. He was also surprised to find out that Norway and Denmark, despite of their countries working independently, actually shared some works. Whenever they had complicated cases, they talked about it together and sometime they even switched the work so sometime some of the Denmark's ideas were actually Norway's and another way around. Iceland didn't understand first why they did that but soon he noticed that it was simply because they had their own strength and knowledge. They trusted each other much enough to ask for help. Iceland did that too sometime but usually he waited until the last moment before asking help from anybody because he wanted to show that he could do all alone. He started to feel like there might actually be something Norway and Denmark could yet teach him. Honestly, that thought was scaring him a bit.
"Yeah", he told his classmates, "I think I'll do a practice."
"Cool!" Tomas said because for him absolutely anything was cool, "with what company?"
"It's not really a company", Iceland replied, "more an institution, society or something."
"So?" Julia asked, "are you going to keep us guessing?" Iceland smirked slightly and the humans kept giving him questioning looks.
"Government of Denmark offered me a place for practice", Iceland finally said and lied just a bit because there hasn't really been anything to offered but he couldn't really say that his talking bird was told him to do so, "so I guess I'm going to work for the country a while."
"Super", Tomas praised him, "serve the nation that is giving you the education!"
"Exactly", Iceland said and hoped that Denmark would not decide to say anything like that too, "or well, almost like that."