Chapter Seven
The stabbing pain on Norway's jawbone was the most prominent aspect of waking up. His whole face was throbbing numbly with blinding agony. It took all of Norway's willpower to stay conscious and open his eyes. He found himself laying on the plush couch in the living room. Norway was covered in something warm— a trench coat? When the spots finally disappeared from his view, the Norwegian realized that the room he was in wasn't entirely empty.
"Lukas?"
Norway squinted at the looming figure above him. The man gazed down upon him with brilliant blue eyes. It was Mathias. Norway was confident he could recognize that man's eyes anywhere.
"Y-Yes? I'm a-awake."
Mathias stared at Norway for a few extra seconds before reaching downwards. The Norwegian flinched, expecting to be punched again. Instead, he was handed a bottle of water. He greedily gulped it down until the bottle was nothing more than a plastic shell. Norway handed it back and stared nervously at the taller man. Mathias was unpredictable, he would smile cheerily and make friends but the next second he could stab them in the back. If it weren't physically impossible for a nation to be diagnosed with a mental illness, Norway could swear Denmark was bipolar. Once again, Mathias's actions surprised him.
The Dane drew a chair over and sat down in it, tossing the empty bottle over his shoulder. He sighed at shot a look at the bedded nation before returning his eyes to the floor.
"Sorry for, ya know, punching you in the face. And stuff."
Mathias mumbled. To any stranger it would have sounded like the most insincere apology in the world, but Norway knew better. Denmark had never been one for apologies and was never good at saying them. What Mathias had just said was the equivalent of a box of chocolate.
Internally, Norway was beaming in glee. He forced down a smile and instead gave a nod of acceptance. The Norwegian pushed a stony and cold look onto his face to cover up the positive reactions he had always tried so hard to hide. Mathias looked shocked and slightly hurt at the expression that adorned Norway's face. He too covered it up by glaring at the offending nation.
"Whatever. Thanks I guess. Now gimme an ice pack."
Mathias grunted and trudged out of the room to grab ice from the freezer, glaring all the way. With the other nation out of the way, Norway let his cool facade break. He let out a groan of pain an he rubbed his sore jaw. Thinking back to the days of the Kalmar Union when Sweden and Denmark would fight, Norway remembered after every brawl it would take weeks on end for the bruises decorating the Swedish man too fade. Behind Denmark's punches was the power and glory of the Scandinavian kingdom. It was no surprise he could severely injure a nation, let alone knock them out.
Norway snapped out of his thoughts and quickly hid his hand under the blanket when he heard the sound of approaching footfalls. Mathias stomped through the door and tossed an bag full of ice at caught it right before the bag nailed him in the face. The Norwegian started to sneer but stopped abruptly. Mathias's scowl turned into a smirk when he caught sight of Norway's horrified expression. The Dane was holding up a mirror into which Norway gazed upon the extent of the damage done to his face.
A huge purple bruise marred the flawless skin of the Norwegian nation. A pealing scab had formed at the center of the welt, proving Mathias's strength. Norway shoved the mirror away from his face and huffed. The Dane placed the reflective sheet of glass on the small coffee table and snickered as he pursed his mouth in a smug grin. His facial expression made it evident that his apology meant next to nothing. Norway's face turned red in fury at he glimpsed the Dane's self-satisfied leer. He crossed his arms tightly and ground out,
"Go away."
Mathias was practically beaming at the tone of the smaller man's voice. He reveled in the embarrassment and anger directed towards his place next to the couch.
"Okay, fine."
Mathias gave a sarcastic, jaunty wave and strolled out of the room, barely pausing to slam the door, shaking the whole house. Norway fiercely ground his teeth together at the Dane's exit. Leaning back, he mulled over reasons why Mathias could aggravate him so easily. Only one other person he knew of could get under his skin so effortlessly; Mathias and… Denmark.
Norway tiredly scrubbed at his eyes and barely refrained from itching the swelling bump on his jaw. He yawned loudly and slid further down onto the couch. His rapid emotional changes had exhausted his brain and in turn, his body. The Norwegian wearily blinked, trying to keep the haze of sleep from overtaking his senses. To no avail, in a few short minutes his eyes had slipped shut and his mind had fled to the vast fields of dreamscape.
—
When Norway's consciousness winked into reality he noticed that the room was dark and shadowed. While his pupils widened to adjust to the limited light, Norway studied his surroundings and surmised that it was close to eleven o'clock at night. All was silent and unmoving in the dusky room. Norway welcomed the quietude and was well on his way to sleep when his eyes snapped open at a sudden noise. The Norwegian slid off the couch and landed with a thump. He straightened himself, flushing as he brushed his clothing off. Now thoroughly composed, Norway crept across the carpeted floors and towards the doorway. As soon as he crossed into the hall, Norway could faintly detect the sound of whimpering. The rustle of sheets and faint cries coming from the adjacent bedroom indicated a person in great distress. Rushing across the wooden tiles, the Norwegian grasped the handle and heaved open the door to find Mathias thrashing on his bed in the throes of a nightmare. The Dane's eyes were squeezed tightly shut, and his hands were balled into fists as he clutched at the lightweight cotton.
Norway's muscles refused to move as he stared at the writhing nation. Only when Mathias emitted another howl of misery did Norway end his paralytic state by jumping into a panicked frenzy. He grabbed ahold of the Dane's shoulders and shook him as hard as his muscles would allow. Minutes passed and Mathias still had yet to wake. The man had begun crying in earnest, harsh sobs wracking his shaking frame. Norway started shouting aloud, trying to wake the weeping Dane. Finally the combined efforts of his arms and vocals caused Mathias to stir. With a yell he bolted upwards and his eyes snapped open. If it weren't for Norway's quick reflexes, their heads would have collided in a painful mess.
The horrid nightmare had brought the beast in Mathias forth once again. He looked around wildly and struggled to escape the Norwegian's grasp.
"Mathias! Mathias, listen to me! You're safe, it's okay! Mathias!"
After an extended period of time Norway's insistent screaming seeped its way into the Dane's awareness. He stopped jerking around and blinked owlishly up at the Norwegian. Tears still streamed down his red face and his bottom lip quivered, barely containing a barrage of pitiful whimpers. After a few, slow seconds, a look of recognition flashed across Mathias's bedraggled features. The crying man looked away shamefully and tried in earnest to halt the flow of salty tears.
Following his gut, Norway softly wrapped his arms around the shaking shoulders of the Dane. Mathias tensed but soon relaxed his posture when Norway seated himself on the bed beside him. The Norwegian let out a surprised gasp as the taller man threw his arms around his body. Mathias let his head fall onto Norway's shoulder as he let out a broken sob. The Norwegian felt his heart break in two as the once proud man wept openly in his arms. He laced his fingers through the Dane's matted hair and stroked his head comfortingly. Norway could feel Mathias's warm, shaky breaths on the crook of his neck as he rubbed soothing circles into the other man's back.
Hours went by before Mathias exhaustedly cried himself to sleep. Norway noticed the change only when the shaking had ceased. Even after the Dane's body went limp against his chest was Norway holding the slumbering man. The moon fled to make way for dawn and still the Norwegian clung to Mathias's lax form. Only when the first rays of sunlight seeped through the open window did Norway relinquished his grip on the Dane. He eased Mathias's body beneath the sheets and wearily plodded towards the exit. A mumbled name from the Dane caused him to halt his steps and turn back.
"Norway…"
The Norwegian's previously derailed train of thought started up again at full speed. Mathias had said Norway. Norway, not Lukas. Maybe Mathias was remembering him? Was it safe to call him Denmark once again?
Norway tiptoed to lean over the slumbering face of Mathias. He looked peaceful, yet something was wrong. The Norwegian studied the furrowed brow and flicking eyelids before coming to the realization of what the Dane was doing when he called out his name. Mathias was scared and lonely, and was reaching out to the only company he had come across. Norway doubted Mathias was aware of what he had said, and would have no recollection of it when he woke. Even with his newly surfaced doubts, the Norwegian couldn't bring himself to leave. His feet refused to move away from the man in the bed. Norway gave up trying to resist the temptations of a comfortable resting spot and Mathias's unknowing encouragement.
With little hesitation, Norway slid under the silky sheets that covered Mathias. Instead of bothering to remove his clothing, he climbed into the bed, socks and all.
Mathias shifted and murmured incoherent words in phrases as he slept. Every time he got restless, the Norwegian would reach out and pet his hair or rub his back in a soothing gesture. Mathias would still, but the minute Norway removed his hand he would squirm like a lost puppy seeking warmth. The continuous cycle repeated itself for another hour before Norway became too tired to remove his hand from the Dane's head. He wiggled around before molding himself to Mathias's sleeping figure, hand still gently placed on his soft hair. The Danish man's body could easily be compared to a billowing furnace, he radiated a constant supply of comforting heat. Within moments the warm body and pleasant atmosphere lulled Norway into a secure and dreamless sleep.
—
Im so so sorry it took me so long to update. I am currently visiting my family up in Missouri so I had to socialize. Yuck. I actually wrote a really long chapter that was around 4,000 words but I cut it in half and made it two chapters. Thats why I uploaded twice! Review please, constructive criticism is wanted!
BLOOPERS:
Norway snapped out of his thoughts and quickly hid his hand under the blanket when he heard the sound of approaching footfalls. Mathias stomped through the door and tossed an bag full of ice at Norway. He caught it right before the bag nailed him in the face. The Norwegian picked it up and was about to press it to his face when he noticed a muted screaming coming from inside.
"What the hell—"
"NORWAY DENMARK'S GONE INSANE HE SHOVED ME IN A ZIPLOC BAG!"
Norway turned the bag over to find a set of purple eyes blinking up at him.
"Iceland. Shut up and be a good icepack."
"OH NO, NOT YOU TOO?! I'M NOT EVEN COLD BLOODED!"
"Yeah well your angsty teenage death glare is cold enough for me."
"NORWAY WHA—mmmphhh?!"
The Norwegian promptly placed the bag on his jaw, ignoring the screams coming from inside. Maybe if I ignore him long enough, he'll shut up. Unfortunately for Norway, no such luck.