Rated: T for mature content
Shipping: NorIce
Summary: Iceland is upset and hurt by Norway

Everyone Grows Up Sometime

"Onii-chan, look! The pretty colors are in the sky again!"

Norway smiled fondly down at the little Icelandic nation, affection swelling in his chest. "That's called an Aurora."

"A-Aurwarwa?" Iceland tried to say in his cute child voice, eyebrows furrowed in concentration to pronounce it right.

"Au-ror-a." Norway corrected gently.

"Au-rwr-a." Iceland tried again, pouting when it didn't come out right.

Norway ruffled the younger's hair, laughing. "It's okay, you'll get the hang of it someday."

Iceland frowned, saying with determination, "When I'm older, I'll say big words like that all the time!"

"I know you will, my Island." Norge smiled warmly, wrapping Iceland's cloak snuggly around him. "But remember, no matter how big you get, I'll always be your protective Big Brother."

"I wanna be bigger and stronger than you Onii-chan!" Little Iceland stated, hugging his older brother. "Then I can protect you!"

...That was 11 year ago.

The Icelandic sea was calm, gently curling in waves around their nation's feet in comfort.

"It didn't have to be this way, Norge."

The stoic nation, battered and bloody, looked at his little brother with eyes of defeat as he said nothing.

Drawing his sword, Iceland pointed it shakily at the Norwegian nation, eyes burning with unshed tears of anger and betrayal. "Why? Why couldn't you just trust me? I thought you were suppose to be on my side until the end."

Norway opened his mouth, but nothing but air came out, making Iceland laugh cruelly. "Ha. Guess I was wrong. I should have known it was one sided, since I was only your shadow anyway, right?"

Flinching, Norge's eyes looked tortured and his body shook, as if it took away his strength to just hold his tongue. A tongue that would beg for his little brother to forgive him, and a body that would take him into his arms and never let go.

Iceland watched the internal struggle for a few moments, waiting to see if he would say what was on his mind. When it became obvious Norway would say nothing, the younger nation exhaled deeply in tired sadness.

"I trusted you Norge. I trusted you. And you go and do that... what am I to you anyway? An ally? An enemy? A brother? ...A lover?" With slight hesitance, Iceland added the last part with a feeling of bittersweetness as the aftertaste.

Norway was silent, not looking his brother in the eyes. Even the sea was quiet, waves calmly brushing against their feet and legs. It was as if everything had gone still to capture this one moment that would never be forgotten.

After a long pause of silence, the Norwegian said quietly, "You were all of it." Shaking, Norway's face twisted in pain as his facade of no emotion left him, showing his vulnerable emotional state. "Everything... you were everything to me."

"Yeah, everything. That's why you kept me locked up, like some kind of pet?" Iceland asked in bitterness. "...You have NO idea what it was like, being kept hidden in a room with no windows, doors with locks keeping me contained, nobody to talk to me or to tell me if you were even okay. You don't understand what it was like, not knowing if your own brother was alive or dead in the sea!"

Yelling did nothing to help Norway's guilt, but Iceland didn't care. He wanted to hurt his brother for thinking he could protect him with isolation. "Even worse... even worse, was that you did it out of love. ...That hurt more than if you just hated me. I wish you had just killed me instead, get it over with from the start."

"Emi-"

"Save it Norge!" Iceland yelled, looking away to hide his tears of frustration, adding more quietly, "...Just leave me alone. I don't want to hear any more of your lies."

Silence dragged on and an emotionally exhausted Iceland lowered his sword, turning around and walking away. He couldn't take seeing him anymore.

The waves that crashed against the land silenced any other sound, for if they didn't Iceland would have heard his brother run to him, scooping him into his arms to hold him tightly from behind.

"Norge, what are you-"

"I'm sorry Emil! I'm so, so sorry!"

"Nor-"

"It was selfish, I know. But I just couldn't bare the thought of you getting hurt! Russia wanted your land, England wanted your waters, and so did other countries who followed suite. ...I couldn't let them touch you. I wouldn't. They would kill you, or worse."

Iceland tried to speak again, but was abruptly silenced by Norway again, who hardly ever talked this much in his life.

"...It's true, I wanted you all to myself. I love your land, and I love your people. But, please understand... I love you more." Smiling sadly, Norway let his arms fall to his sides, Iceland turning around to look at him again. "...you're not my little brother anymore, Emil. But you've always be my Island."

The Icelandic flinched at the nickname, it's been years since he was last called that. "...what do you want from me?"

"I want what you want. So tell me, what do you want?"

Another beat of silence and Iceland couldn't hold it in any longer. His shaking hand dropped his sword, tears running down his cheeks as he said brokenly, "I want to be with you forever." With that, he ran into Norway's open arms, sobbing like a child as he was held.

Norway embraced the Icelandic nation tightly against him, afraid that if he let go that his precious love would slip away again. "My Island. My sweet, sweet Island. I'll always be with you, no matter who tries to come between us. I give you my word." With that, the Norwegian dipped Iceland into a deep and passionate kiss, lips locked as though to seal this promise.

Breaking away from their shared kiss, Iceland said breathlessly, "If you break your promise, I'll kill you."

Smiling kindly, Norway kissed Iceland's forehead and murmured, "If that's the case, I'll never die by your hands. I'll stand by your side for eternity."