I am so sorry, this is terribly late. Explanation will be given in the author's note at the end of the chapther. I would also like to warn you that this is a headcannon of mine and you may not agree with it. This is not meant as a pairing. Enjoy.

unofficial top secret nonpolitical mutually beneficial arrangement

August 1998, the mouth of Jakobselv river, Russian side

He could see them. Right there. Just on the other side of the river. Like golden stars. Small dots of warm light. They were mocking him. The lights of Grense Jakobselv. He knew it was just military barracks. He knew that. The last civilians moved south and west in the 70's and early 80's. He knew that too. But those lights… Right now they looked like cosy homes where happy families sat around the tables, eating, hearty fires keeping them warm.

He was not sure exactly why he went to this place. Why he was sitting in a canoe watching the Norwegian side of the border. He took a couple of strokes, trying to keep what little warmth he could. It did not help. He padled some more.

It may have been because of those old memories. It was hard to remember in between so many wars, but it was there. A small hand with a surprising strength, polite words in heavily accented german and broken russian. Friendly blue eyes and a blazing bonfire. Serious conversation and the only neighbor with whom he had not fought.

One who had let him help, and then politely told him the war was over and that he could take his soldiers and leave.

Maybe it was the memory of food and companionable silence. A meetingroom, deserted by all but them. Minutes of looking at his counterpart who was staring at air, oblivious to the world, waiting for someone to come so the meeting could begin. One who had talked to him and promised him friendship, not as nations, but as humans.

The oar felt heavy in his hands so he carefully placed it down beside himself. Come to think of it, his whole body felt heavy. His head was still aching, his nose running and violent, scathing bouts of coughs wracked his body now and then. He did deserve a break, and what better place to take it, no one would disturb him here.

August 1998, unknown cabin, Norway

"Russland! Russland! Wake up! Russia! Mladshiy braht, Россия! РОССИЯ!

Someone was shouting his name. Shouting and shaking him. It was a very familiar voice…

"Wake up, now, or I will sing the idiots anthem." What, no! He opened his eyes, not really seeing anything, but that was not the objective.

"Я не сплю! Я не сплю!" he yelled

"Good," the familiar voice answered, in russian. Heavily accented, but still beautiful. He was not entirely sure whether his language was beautiful no matter what, or if it was that voice that could make anything sound like a song… His sight was coming back, it was pretty dark, but he could make out a person leaning over him. The warm flickering light -fire, he thought, created strange shadows and painted the blonde hair in gold and reds. Pale skin and dark eyes staring into his own.

"I have waited for you to wake up," Norway said. They sat opposite each other, a table between them. Russia sat on a bed, the other on a chair. It was a small cabin. It surprised him a bit. No electricity, no water. It was just as he had lived more than a hundred years earlier. As if nothing had changed, though then he had been in a forced union and one of Europe's poorest countries. Now he was independent and had a strong oil-driven economy. And yet here he was, in this primitive cabin in the middle of nowhere.

Norway suddenly stood up and left the room. He wouldn't leave him here alone, would he? No, he wouldn't. Or maybe he would. It had been a long time since they last met, maybe he had changed his mind? Maybe he didn't want to be his friend anymore, nobody else wanted to… Everyone left him, of course Norway would leave too.

A soft thud brought him back and he saw Norway sitting down.

"I thought you might be hungry," he said with a vague gesture to the bowls he had placed in front of them.

"Thank you," Russia said. He used the spoon to poke at the substance. Some kind of porridge maybe? It did not matter, it was warm and he needed both the warmth and the nutrition. They ate in silence. Now and then Russia would sneak a glance at the other nation, he had to admit that he was curious. The Norwegian never looked up, he ate silently, lifting each spoonful to his mouth slowly and elegantly, careful that he wouldn't spill anything.

Small, delicate, civilized, naive, pokerfaced, careful, peaceful, polite, humane, democratic. All words that described Norway. Why did he not hate Russia? Someone like him was not friends with people like Russia, it simply was not done.

He asked the question. Norway did not even look at him, just ate another spoonful of soup.

"I hate your government," he had answered. "I was scared that you will invade me and make me a part of your union. But we have never fought, not really, and I believe everyone deserves a friend, everyone needs someone sometimes. It is a mutually beneficial arrangement; we both gain a friend, one time won't kill and that is not looking for profit or alliance." After that he had not said anymore, just poured a cup of coffee and turned his head slightly to look into the crackling fire in the fireplace.

It was a strange friendship, if one could even call it that. Thay had met like this three times, this would be the fourth, always alone. They had rules. No one was to know, no politics, they were not allies. It was only for comfort, the possibility that if everything became too much they had someone to go to. It was strange, unnatural and Russia felt that the comforting part was very onesided, but it worked and he would not look the gifthorse in the mouth. And so they ate together in silence and in that moment it was like the world did not exist. No pain, no politics, no economical problems. No past and no future, only two friends enjoying a simple meal in a tiny cabin somewhere in Norway.

That night they cuddled together on the cabin's only bed and for once they slept without any nightmares. It would not, could not, last. It would be years, even decades, to the next time, but it did not matter because in that cabin everything was right, they were fine and they were safe.

-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-

translations:

Russland (norwegian) - Russia

Mladshiy braht (russian) - Little brother

Россия (russian) - Russia

Я не сплю (russian) - I am awake/I am up

I don't know russian so feel free to correct me, that goes for the english too.

History lesson:

In the autumn of 1998 Russia experienced a financial crisis when he tried to change his economical model to resemble the capitalist western world. The crisis was solved by New Year.

On the 14. may 1826 in Saint Petersburg a bordertreaty was signed between Russia and Norway. Both parts were satisfied, even though Russia surprisingly gave up their claim to some of the land west of the Bay of Kola. The border remains Norway's youngest and Russia's oldest unchanged border.

At the end of the second world war the Soviet army marched into Northern Norway to fight the Germans. They remained in Norway until september 1945, when Norway asked them to leave. Norway is the only country that Soviet left alone after sending in their army. During the Cold War Norway would not let America place rockets on Norwegian territory.

Author's note:

So… Explanation. As I wrote, I am very sorry for this late update and even more sorry for saying that the next update probably will be later. I am currently on the second three-months-lap of a six months bicycle tour across the US, from New York City to Los Angeles. Hah, bet you don't see that excuse often… Anyways, I still have school and between cycling and school I will be hard pressed to write anything, and then I have to find a place with Wifi…

Regular updates will resume around May 17. I hope you are patient and that you will stay with me.

I would also like some reviews, if you can spare the twenty seconds it takes to write one of course.