Weeks passed at an alarming rate. Before long, it seemed that everything had been sorted out.

The war was over; the healing process had already begun. Summer was coming to an end.

One day, perhaps in late September (or maybe early October), Norway was back at his house after another round of meetings.

Personally, he thought that new countries ought to be able to choose their own names, but he was not asked.

And, of course, he was needed in Oslo. And that was ok. There was nowhere he'd rather be.

But sometimes…

All the political garbage made him sick.

He stood idly at the window for several minutes, watching the sun make its way across the sky. In a few short weeks, that journey would be almost non-existent.

The sun had always been of special interest to Norway: it was a constant- at least, it could be predicted, with study- in an ever-changing world. Wherever you went on Earth, the sun would be there.

He was startled out of his musings when a pair of arms wrapped themselves around his waist.

"I thought you weren't supposed to get back until tomorrow…"

"Took a plane as soon as I was done at the office. Didn't want to wait any longer…" Denmark pressed a soft kiss onto Norway's cheek.

"I'm glad you didn't. It was too…quiet."

Denmark noticed the expression on Norway's face. "Is something wrong?"

Norway shook his head. "I- I don't know. I feel so…restless and… distracted."

"If there's anything I can do, I'll do it."

"I know." He reached a hand up to brush an unruly lock of hair out of Denmark's eyes. A sudden moment of caprice seized him. "Did you mean what you said?"

"I say lots of things. When?"

Norway made his eyes meet Denmark's. "When you said I was a coward…did you mean that?"

Denmark sighed. "No."

Norway could not tell if that was the truth. His sense of such things had been royally fucked up, after all.

"Have I not told you before that you are the bravest person I know?"

"Yes."

"Why do you not believe it?"

"It's hard when you can look into your own heart without benefit of a mirror." He shook his head and sighed. "I'm sorry, I've just been moody lately."

A slight twinkle appeared in the Dane's eyes. "Is there something you should tell me, Norge?"

Norway frowned. "God, no, nothing like that, you idiot."

"Ah, it seems like we have the old Norge back."

"Oh, really?" Norway asked, a sudden and mischievous smirk on his face. "Would the 'old Norge' have done this?" He kissed Denmark hard on the mouth.

"I think I do rather like this new Norge," Denmark murmured softly.

"I thought you might."

A few moments passed, each of them just enjoying being in the other's presence.

"What do we do now?" Denmark asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that the war's over, and everything is working out, and it all seems perfect, but- But what if it isn't? Just another beginning of a story that will be fraught with disaster after disaster. We all thought we'd be together in 793 and in 1523 and-"

"Our lives are not a single story; we don't live just once. We live a thousand lives, and every one ends when a new one begins. One day, when the world crumbles beneath our feet, we will be together. And there are moments of happiness where we can be together."

"Like now?"

"Like now. Is that enough for you?"

"Yes. It's enough."

A/N: Thanks for sticking with me through this! I love you guys.

Final stats:

-Chapters: 73, including prologue

-Words: 40,548

-Pages: 128

I do intend to finish this trilogy at some point (because all the best things come in trilogies).

Thanks again!