It was a crush told by a daisy.
She was awkward and shy then, but the smile on her face that only grew when he accepted the flower, shown how happy she was.
They were so full of hope then.
What they were had never quite sunk in.
She was his best friend and his crush, and to think that one day that could fully be together made them beyond happy.
Portugal smiled at him then as she felt his fingers interlock with hers while his other hand held that daisy close and lovingly.
It surprised Ireland even now to think of how similar their younger siblings were as Spain was and probably still is to some extent a lot like his sister when she was younger.
Antonio fought though with her and always had; he'd never looked up to her like a little brother should; they still rarely spent time with each other aside from business meetings.
His younger brother, Wales, was definitely a lot like he was when he was younger too; the boy was chattier, sure, but he is alive with hope and naivety that Ireland used to know of well back when he was younger.
Wales and Ireland got along alright as they did live together and spent time together in general, but still they could fight a lot.
Ireland sighed though he wondered as his hands found his wife's, still lost in thought, eyes on the lake before them, how things had turned out this way.
He'd married Portugal as soon as he could, and his love for her had never died, but through the time that they'd known each other they had both grown up.
She was amazingly strong, sure of herself, and stubborn; Portugal could be a bit of a pessimist at times though she usually referred to herself as a realist.
Ireland knew that other then losing his naivety, he'd also grown to be more aware of the consequences of any action, both good and bad; he definitely considered himself to be a realist.
He'd matured and found himself trying to be the best big brother for his younger siblings, Wales and England.
They were the babies of the family and so he tried to be the best role model for them possible though they were technically full grown.
Wales appeared younger though and for that reason, Ireland did tend to try really hard for him.
He'd learned that life was not all daisy flowers and bright smiles, but he did know that there would be many moments of such breathtaking joy thrown in with bitter arguments and the stress of work.
Ireland smiled as he gazed back at Portugal who moved to close that distance between them in a way that was almost reminiscent of her former shyer self.
He grinned though it softened into a gentle smile as they kissed each other gently; love was always brimming for them, and there may be days when things were difficult and when they didn't feel it fully, but they'd always remain in love and defending it.
Ireland held her close, knowing that usually she was the stronger one in their relationship, but he did really try for them as well.