Chapter Eleven
The rising sun shone brightly through the glass pane and into the kitchen. Two men sat, bathed in light as they stared sullenly into their murky coffee cups. Norway picked at his nails while discretely glancing across the table. Despite the jovial atmosphere, Mathias stared glumly at his drink with a disgruntled scowl. There was no question about it, something was immensely irritating the Dane.
"What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing. What's wrong with you?"
Norway stared blankly into the Dane's flickering eyes. After a moment of silence Mathias heaved a resigned sigh.
"Fine. It's just, I'm bored."
"…"
Lukas stared dumbly at Mathias who sported a serious, annoyed face.
"Are you kidding?"
Mathias bristled at his statement, tensing his muscles and straightening in his chair.
"No, I'm serious Lukas! All we do is sit around this dumb house. I want to go do something for once!"
The Dane stared unwaveringly into Norway's eyes before gripping his mug and sipping his coffee, never once breaking eye contact. So Mathias wanted to get out of the house, huh? After a moments pause, Norway pushed back the chair and stood up, heading for the his bedroom. As the Norwegian disappeared up the stairs he called over his shoulder,
"Go pack a bag, we'll be gone for a few days. You wanted to do something? You can thank me later."
Mathias stared dubiously after the unpredictable man with wide and confused eyes. With a shrug he followed Norway upstairs and began to rifle through his closet for suitable outfits.
Norway was rummaging through his own drawers, picking and matching a variety of shirts and pants. In a matter of minutes, he had prepared a duffle bag full of clothing and bathroom essentials. With a satisfied nod, Norway tossed his bag on his bed with careless effort and was preparing to head back downstairs when he heard a thump followed by muttered cursing coming from Mathias's room. He rolled his eyes with a smirk and plodded towards the Dane's room, where he eased open the door, careful not to make a sound.
Even with Norway's vision hindered by the door, it was obvious to anyone that Mathias was pissed off. The Dane was spread eagle on the floor, travel bag situated over his face. Despite the cloth muffling his words, Mathias's loud cursing could be heard from rooms away. Clothes were strewn around the room in a disorganized manner and his axe was imbedded deeply in the far wall.
Norway was too slow to hide a snort of laughter at the ridiculous scene and in turn of his discovery, pushed open the door. Mathias sprung up from the floor, face red and body ridged.
"What do you want?!"
Norway gazed amusedly around at the room. Instead of answering Mathias's previous question, he raised an inquiring eyebrow that accompanied his twitching lips.
"What… what are you doing?"
Mathias scowled and averted his eyes from Norway inquisitive gaze. He blushed and mumbled an intelligible string of words, mostly consisting of curses. Still muttering, he stalked over to axe and pried it out of the wall with a grunt. The Dane's gaze switched between the crinkled duffle bag and the weapon he grasped in his clenched hand. He stared at the axe before growling and hurling it at the opposite wall. Norway flinched at the resounding thud as the axe was once again buried in the wall. He decided it was smartest to let Mathias reply in his own time.
Only once the room was utterly trashed did Mathias find the will to reply coherently to Norway's inquisitive gaze.
"I'm trying to get my axe in the bag."
Norway glanced from the bag to the five-foot long axe. His shoulders began to quiver with suppressed chuckling when he compared each objects size. Why would he even think he could get an object of that size in such a small bag?
"Shut up! I know the axe is too big!"
Mathias shouted.
"I didn't say anything!"
"With your eyes, moron! You were speaking with your eyes— Hey, Stop laughing!"
Norway was shaking in an effort too hide his laughter from the irate Dane. Mathias snarled and barely stopped himself from throwing the axe at Norway's hysterical face. A long time had passed before the Norwegian's snickering faded to a slight cough.
"You can't bring the axe."
Mathias's disbelieving gaze flew from the floor to Norway's eyes.
"But it's my axe!"
"So?"
"So I have to take it!"
"You can't."
"But I have too!"
Norway sighed and pressed his thumb and forefinger to the bridge of his nose. He knew that Mathias was too stubborn to give in, the axe would have to come somehow. Norway could call in a few favors and then… yes, that might work.
"Fine."
"I have too— Wait, what?"
"You can take the axe."
Shocked with the sudden turn of events, Mathias's only response was a mute nod. Instead of trying to stuff it in the bag, he placed the weapon against the wall where it precariously leaned, on the verge of falling. He began loading clothes into the rumpled bag with a harried mood as Norway exited the room to get in touch with his contacts.
For days on end Norway had been waiting to get the chance to do something with Mathias. The perfect opportunity came up when the Dane had declared his boredom, and Norway had decided that a two day trip to Copenhagen was the perfect remedy. So what if Mathias insisted on bringing a double-bladed axe along for the trip? As long as he didn't kill anyone, Norway was fine with bringing the weapon.
An hour later, Norway had acquired permission from the hotel manager to bring a giant viking axe onto the premise. Now with nothing better to do, the Norwegian lay sprawled on the couch whilst picking lethargically at the fraying seem of the cushions. He had just managed to unravel half of the seem when Norway's sensitive ears picked up the sound of heavy footfalls belonging to a certain Dane tramping their way down the stairs. He heaved himself off the couch as Mathias plodded into the living room and dropped his bag with an audible thump, only to pick it up again when Norway gestured for him to follow as he disappeared into the next room. Mathias rolled his eyes yet trudged after the Norwegian with nothing more than a grunt.
Norway lead the taller man through the various rooms and into the garage. He fished the keys out of his pocket and unlocked the doors with a click. The Norwegian tossed both his and Mathias's bag into the backseat before clambering behind the wheel. He ignored the Dane's questioning stare and gazed stubbornly through the window. After a few short minutes Mathias gave up and leaned back in his seat, to the satisfaction of the annoyed driver.
—
Luckily for the bored occupants of the car, the drive to Copenhagen was a short distance. In no time at all the two were watching the valet service drive the vehicle into a vacant parking space. Norway had wisely asked one of the workers to take the axe up to their hotel room in order to avoid mass chaos and panic. Bags gripped tight, they strolled through the sliding doors of the Copenhagen Marriott Hotel. The lobby was decorated luxuriously with flowery arrangements every few feet. The bustling crowd complicated finding the check-in desk, turning a 30 second walk into a five minute maze. Mathias was the one to spot the desk over the heads of all the people, dragging the shorter man behind him as he walked up to it. The attendant looked up at the shadow of the man and smiled in a flirtatious way that irked Norway to no end. He cleared his throat, startling the attendant out of her dazed behavior.
"Bondevik."
The attendant stared at him confusedly before blushing and turning to the computer placed in front of her. Norway snorted maliciously at her lack of perception and ability to comprehend the smallest phrase. After a minute's silence, the flushed attendant pushed two room keys across the counter.
"Room 1523, on the 5th floor. Enjoy your stay sir!"
Once again she glanced over at the Dane who had been surveying the whole confrontation with a blank look. The attendant batted her lashes teasingly as he looked over at her. Norway promptly shoved him towards the elevator, casting a dark glare over his shoulder. He shoved the taller man inside and jammed his finger on the button that would send them too the 5th floor. He huffed angrily and glared at the floor until he caught Mathias's amused look in the reflection of the tile.
"What! She was annoying and clearly didn't know how to do her job."
Mathias tilted his head in a way that stressed the fact he could see right through the Norwegian's lies. He would have liked to say more, but decided to do the smart thing and drop the topic.
Norway lead the Dane through winding hallways until they came to a stop at room 1523. He shoved open the door and was greeted with a modern, yet cozy living space. The room was decorated with scenic pictures and colorful wallpaper. Two beds were pressed against the far wall, only inches apart. A television sat facing towards the beds in order to allow easy vision and relaxation. The bathroom door was to the left of the entrance, covered in pristine tile.
Mathias pushed past Norway and dropped his bag on the left mattress before grabbing his weapon tightly from where it leaned against the nightstand. He inspected the axe for any dents or scrapes, before deciding that its condition was satisfactory and turning his attention to Norway.
"So, why are we at a hotel? Are you trying to woo me?"
Norway hid his embarrassed mannerisms behind a thorn-like wall of sarcasm.
"Yeah, maybe if I halved my standards, and then lowered them again.. You said you wanted to get out of the house and I agreed. We will do a few things and then go home."
Mathias shrugged and offered no complaints. In fact, he looked rather pleased at Norway's choice of entertainment.
Norway set his bag on his own bed and began to unload everything into the drawers that were placed at the foot of the mattress. The Norwegian had packed fleetingly, only carrying several pairs of clothes, a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a comb. It took him no time at all, leaving him with nothing to do but watch as Mathias unpacked his mountain of things. The Dane unloaded object after object, yet only a third of them were clothes. The Dane unpacked book after book, a Rubiks Cube, numerous pencils and pens, a pad of paper, and several small knives…?
"For protection."
Mathias spoke with a self-confident smirk. Norway rolled his eyes and barely refrained from reprimanding the assertive Dane. Instead, he leaned back onto the bed and began to flip through the television channels, yet to his dismay his choices consisted of infomercials and children's shows. The Norwegian gave up on the T.V. and sighed, propping himself up on his elbows in order to glare at Mathias's back.
"Hurry up."
The Dane whipped around with a frustrated expression.
"Jeez, I'm almost done! Chill out."
After what felt like hours, Mathias had finally emptied his oversized duffle bag. He tossed it to the side and sat down on his bed, turning towards Norway with a huff.
"Okay, oh wise trip planner. What are we going to do today?"
Norway had interpreted this question, and was fully prepared with a smug retaliation.
"We're going to Tivoli Gardens."
—
Tivoli Gardens was a beautiful amusement park filled with laughing families and cheerful faces. Luscious green trees decorated the stone pathways, and flowers filled the park with vivid color. Restaurants and concession stands lined the pathways, filling the air with the delicious smell of Danish food. Despite the food smell, the air was crisp and clear with the becomings of a bright, sunlit day.
The minute Mathias had gotten his hands on a map, he was off, dragging a reluctant Norway behind him. They dashed through the park, coat tails flapping as Mathias navigated through the crowd and to the entrance of The Demon.
The Demon was a hulking red rollercoaster, 91 feet tall and twice as intimidating. It loomed above the heads of the two men, making it seem all the more massive. The Dane rushed towards the line, Norway in tow. They waited for 15 minutes before climbing into the cars, one man eager and one opposed. Mathias was fidgeting in excitement, and only after several painful flicks from the Norwegian did he find the patience to stand still.
With a creak the car moved along the rails, steadily climbing the first gigantic drop. Norway began to sweat in anticipation as the car neared its peak. He vaguely noticed Mathias stretch his hands up in an adrenalized manner. The Dane laughed manically as the car began to tip forward. For a brief moment Norway was able to see the entirety of the park before the car plunged into sudden death.
After his rollercoaster experience, Norway could not look someone in the eye and honestly say he didn't scream in terror. He could however, admit that as soon as he had stumbled off the ride that he had yelled at Mathias for making him go on it. The obnoxious Dane had just laughed and dragged him off to another ride.
Over the course of two hours The Norwegian had been unwillingly dragged from ride to ride. He went on roller coasters, drop rides, but absolutely refused to ride anything G-force. Instead he happily watched from a bench as Mathias puked his innards out into a trashcan. After the barfing fiasco the two headed of to lunch at an over expensive fast food chain. Norway ate with quick bites while Mathias gobbled down his food, not un-like a certain American nation (Don't worry, America's eating habits are worse be far).
With stomachs full and all the high-speed attractions ridden, Norway and Mathias decided it was high time to head back to the hotel. They boarded a bus, laughing and shoving each other like two old friends. As the ride progressed, the two gradually began to fall into sleepy silence.
Once the bus had arrived, Norway nearly had to drag the comatose Dane off the bus. He helped the stumbling man navigate through the throng without falling and propped him against a wall in the elevator. The Norwegian then proceed to slap Mathias across the face in order to draw him into awareness, which with the animosity of the two, evolved into an extreme shouting match.
And thus, that was the image an unsuspecting family saw as they prepared to board the elevator. A short blond man angrily attempting to punch a taller scowling man who blocked every hit. Though to the family it might have looked like chaos, in truth, it was a pattern. A messy, violent, comfortable, and familiar pattern.
And as long as no one changed that, it was okay.
—
I know the ending sucked but I'm tired so there.
It always throws me off close everything is in Europe. Without traffic it takes exactly 23 minutes to get from Dragør to Copenhagen while it takes me that exact amount of time to get to school! How. Just… how. Also, Tivoli Gardens, the rides, and the measurements are all real and accurate.
And yes, the room number has a specific meaning. It isn't important to the story though. Maybe. Please review!
BLOOPERS:
"Room 1523, on the 5th floor. Enjoy your stay sir!"
Once again she glanced over at the Dane who had been surveying the whole confrontation with a blank look. The attendant batted her lashes teasingly as he looked over at her. Norway promptly shoved him towards the elevator, casting a dark glare over his shoulder. As he strode away, the attendant called out again,
"Wait, sir you forgot something!"
Norway spun around and marched back to the desk.
"What."
The lady held up a 'do not disturb' sign. She smiled as she held it out for Norway to take.
"You know, I doubt the cleaning ladies would appreciate walking in at the wrong time—"
Norway blushed furiously and his threats increased in volume and amount. He growled and stalked towards the elevator, all the while discreetly tucking the sign into his pocket. Who knows, if Norway got lucky, they might actually use it.