#denest

Estonia’s index finger tapped against the granite countertop as she patiently waited for the final set of waffles to finish. One plate had already been completed and it had been left on the island counter behind her. Next to the plate was a cutting board with fresh strawberries, straight from her garden, that had already been sliced up in half. To the left side of the cutting board, there was a bottle of syrup, a cinnamon shaker, an open container of blueberries, and a stick of butter. The sound of a documentary on barn swallows could be faintly heard on the television in the living room.

Denmark used the moment to sneak up behind her and wrap her arms around Estonia’s waist. A loud yelp quickly turned into nervous laughter as Denmark pulled their bodies close and she nuzzled her face into Estonia’s neck. In comparison to Denmark, Estonia was already dressed for the day. She looked so cute dressed in a solid-coloured royal blue dress with a cropped black cardigan. Not a single strand of hair on her short bob haircut was out of place. She could faintly smell the lilac body spray off of Estonia’s skin. It was the same kind Denmark gave her as a birthday present a few months earlier.

“Don’t scare me like that!”

“Sorry,” she replied as she slipped in a quick kiss on Estonia’s cheek. Denmark could feel her lover’s tensions wash away as Estonia’s head fell back and onto Denmark’s left shoulder. Though the two women were close in height, Estonia was just a tad taller than her by only an inch or two.

“Did you sleep well?” Estonia asked.

“Always do. But why didn’t ya wake me earlier? I could have helped with breakfast.”

“I wanted to surprise you. Besides, I don’t think you would have appreciated me waking you up at six.”

Denmark groaned, “C’mon! We’re on vacation. There’s no need to get up that early.”

“Sorry but you know I’m an early bird! Six is the best time to be up.”

A loud buzzing noise interrupted the conversation. The waffles were finally finished.

Denmark was a tad disappointed to have Estonia break away from their quick embrace. But a surprise peck on her lips caught her off-guard. It was so unusual for Estonia to be this affectionate that it left her cheeks red and her head on cloud nine.

“I shouldn’t be much longer. Why don’t you get dressed? You must be cold with just a t-shirt and underwear on.”

She wasn’t wrong. Denmark was a little chilly. After all, she had just rolled out of bed the moment she caught the smell of Estonia’s cooking. Collecting herself, Denmark did as she was told, but not without stealing a blueberry from the open container while Estonia’s back was turned. Her eye caught the clock on the way out of the kitchen and noted that it was just after eight-thirty.

Denmark took no more than five minutes to get herself ready, wearing a simple red zip-up hoodie and matching red athletic shorts. She brushed up her pixie cut but skipped the makeup. She returned to the kitchen to see breakfast and coffee had been all laid out. Estonia was already seated across from her, enjoying a quick sip of her coffee. The smell of the cinnamon and the syrup made Denmark’s mouth water. She couldn’t wait to dig in.

Sunlight greeted the two women through white sheer curtains—a fitting end to their vacation. They mulled over their time in Hiiumaa. Estonia owned a vacation home on the island and they had been eagerly preparing their return here since the previous summer. Rain unfortunately put a damper on the majority of the vacation. But they made do with what they had. They hardly get to spend time together alone as a couple so a simple date night with dinner and a movie was all they needed to reconnect.

But yesterday had been perfect. Throughout the conversation, Denmark caught herself daydreaming about their time on the beach. She loved how perfect the warm sand felt between her feet. They rented out a small boat that fit just the two of them and rowed along a small portion of the coastline, with Estonia serving as her personal tour guide. Later in the evening, they swapped their swimwear for casual summer dresses to have a date night at a nearby restaurant. The staff knew Estonia well and were given the best seats they could offer—far enough that the two could have a private night to themselves, but close enough that they could still enjoy the local bands perform on stage. They stayed until the doors closed at midnight and they walked home hand-in-hand under skies where the sun never truly sets.

If only every day could be like yesterday.

“I know we have to head back to Tallinn today but is there enough time for one more walk on the beach?”

“I don’t see why not,” Estonia replied as she finished off the last few sips of her coffee. “We don’t have to board the ship until noon so we have plenty of time. It won’t be as warm as it was yesterday though.”

“That’s okay. I have you to keep me warm!”

Denmark was grinning from ear to ear and all Estonia could do was roll her eyes.

“Aw c’mon. I thought that was a good line.”

It really wasn’t. But she would never admit that she liked Denmark’s cheesy lines. The novelty would wear off quickly if she were allowed to slip them into every conversation.

Denmark hadn’t realized how hungry she was until she noticed Estonia still had half a waffle left and some fruit scattered around the plate. Their conversation had gone cold but neither seemed to mind. Estonia loved the peace and quiet. Denmark, meanwhile, was fixated on the scenery outside. Through the curtains, she could see the waves crashing against the shore in the distance. She shut her eyes and let her mind take her back to the beach once again. The two of them were alone and walking across the soft sand, wearing the same outfits as they were now. Before she knew it, Estonia slipped from her grasp, removed her white sandals, and made a run towards the sea. She ran far enough for the water to rise above her ankles. She lifted her dress just above her knees and began gliding her left foot across the water. Denmark watched with wonder as excitement built in her chest. Her movements were like a hypnotic dance meant for her eyes only.

Bright blue eyes met Estonia’s aqua-coloured ones. Her smile was enough to make Denmark melt in the sand.

Don’t just stand there! Come join me! The water’s perfect.

The sound of her laughter was music to Denmark’s ears. She dashed towards the sea where Estonia’s hand was reaching out to her, waiting patiently for her touch. At the moment where their hands met, Denmark’s eyes flew open at the sound of her name being called out to her.

“Taani—” She felt Estonia’s arms wrap around her shoulders. For a brief moment, Denmark felt slightly disoriented. She hadn’t expected that daydream to leave such a strong impact on both her mind and her heart.

“You don’t want to go home, do you?”

Coming down from the high, Denmark grabbed a hold of Estonia’s right hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. The action alone was all Estonia needed as an answer.

“This place is perfect. I wish I could stay here forever—with you.”

“We’ll be here again soon. Before we know it, it will be the end of July and we’ll be back here on vacation again, just like we planned.”

It wasn’t enough. She didn’t want to fly back to her home in the Copenhagen suburbs. She didn’t want to go to work where the paperwork piled high and meetings with leaders took up most of her day. She didn’t want the city life where the mornings and evenings felt empty.

No.

That way of life wasn’t for her. Denmark’s dream life was ripped from the pages of the novels she and Latvia gushed over. She wanted the country life with the big garden, the calm boat rides under the warm sun, the long drives to nowhere with the wind in her hair, and the early mornings and late nights where time stood still just for them.

She was tired of going home alone.

8. shielding the other one with their body (AmeLiet) Prepare for the angst, for this one X'D. (If it wasn't obvious, this takes place during the Outsourcing strips)

Alfred tilted his head, puzzled by the knock at the door. He wasn't expecting any guests--neither Nation nor human--so he assumed there was either an emergency, or one of his people got lost and ended up at his front door.

"You weren't expecting any guests, today."

Toris's voice snapped Alfred out of his thoughts. The shorter Nation was either very quiet on his feet, or Alfred was that lost in his head; he had no idea his friend approached him until he spoke.

"No," Alfred finally responded. "I'm not."

Another knock shattered the otherwise quiet of Alfred's home, this one sharper and more forceful than the last.

"Stand behind me." Something about this entire situation felt off, to Alfred.

With a nod, Toris complied, his eyes narrowed.

Exhaling through his mouth, Alfred opened the door.

"Jones residence," he began mechanically. "How may I--"

He cut himself off when he realized who was standing on his doorstep.

"Ivan."

"Alfred." With a smile that would have been pleasant save the fact it didn't meet his eyes, the giant Nation stepped forward, entering Alfred's home.

"To what do I owe the honor? I'm sure you're busy and cannot stay long." Alfred's voice was equally pleasant, though he was sure Ivan caught the warning that was meant for him.

"Oh, I was just in your neighborhood, doing a little of this and a little of that, and I thought I would stop by and speak with you. See how everything's going."

"Everything is going well, thank you for asking." Now get the hell out of my house.

"Mm, not from you. I want to hear it from his mouth."

Alfred whirled around, now facing Toris, whose face was turned towards the floor, hands stiff at his sides.

"Everything is fine," Toris said, meeting neither Alfred nor Ivan's eyes. "Now if you excuse me, I must get back to work. There is so much that needs to be done, today."

Before he could exit the room, clearly uncomfortable, Ivan's arm shot out, grabbing Toris's wrist to keep him in place.

"Get out." Alfred's voice lost all niceties it previously held. "You do not lay a hand on my friends in my home. Toris wants to leave; it is in your best interest to let him. You came here to see me, you said. Unless that was a lie."

Ivan let go of Toris, his murky purple eyes narrowing to slits.

"It was a lie, wasn't it?" Alfred was on a roll, now. "You're just here to bully Toris; you get some sick enjoyment out of it, I know you do. Have you ever once told the truth in your messed-up life? No wonder your nose is so big; you're like Pinocchio, I bet it grows with each lie you tell. You're a jo--"

Alfred cut himself off when he saw Ivan draw his fist back. Getting himself into a defensive position, he braced himself to block the punch, and was confused when he felt nothing.

Instead, he heard a choking gasp, and suddenly, he saw (and felt) Toris at his feet, his arms curled around his torso.

As the shorter boy slowly forced himself to his feet, Ivan merely blinked, tilting his head.

"Now why would you do that? That punch was meant for Alfred. I didn't hold back; you know how strong Alfred is. I felt it sink into your gut; I'm sure it was very painful. I doubt he wants you getting sick all over his floor."

Toris said nothing, though one of his hands gripped his stomach, while the other pressed against his mouth. His eyes didn't seem to be all there, Alfred noticed, and he was swaying on his feet.

Without thinking twice, Alfred pulled Toris close to him, supporting his (concerningly light) weight.

"Get. Out." This was snarled; Alfred was done. He wanted Ivan gone. "You barge into my house, uninvited, and then you torment my dear friend? Leave."

"I thought America was welcoming to people from all over the world?" Ivan smiled again, chilling Alfred.

"Litva," he turned to Toris again. "Fetch the two of us something strong. Despite his laws, I am sure dear Alfred keeps some--what's it called?--ah, 'moonshine' in the basement. Just to keep Arthur happy when he visits."

"No." Though he looked to be still in pain, Toris held his head high. "I won't."

Alfred smirked at Ivan, who for a moment, looked shocked.

"I am independent, Ivan," Toris continued. "I will not defer to you."

"For now. We'll see what happens in a few years." Ivan closed his eyes, his smile growing almost childlike. "You and the other two are in such an unfortunate location, geographically. Who knows what other Nations will come and gobble you three up! I'm hoping it's me, but if it's someone else, that only makes your inevitable return to me even more fun! The hunt is no good when there's no chase, after all..."

With a light chuckle, Ivan ruffled Toris's hair.

Alfred felt the brunet wince, and he held him closer, rubbing his arm comfortingly.

"Ivan," he said once more, a warning bite in his voice.

"Ah, I'm going. I can see that I am not wanted. Farewell, Alfred. Toris."

The large man waved, stepping outside. But before he left completely, he stuck his head back inside.

"Just one more thing, Alfred. I see the way you hold him, and how he looks at you. Just remember that wherever you touch him, wherever your hands go, mine were there, first."

With a shout, Alfred lunged forward, pushing Ivan completely out of his house before slamming the door and locking it. When he looked down at his hands, he saw that they were shaking.

(Oops, that got way too long, sorry about that, X'D)

-

(The others will be much shorter than that first one)

12. pushing a strand of hair behind their ear (LietPol)

"Your hair is beautiful, Feliks." Toris pushed a strand of hair behind the shorter boy's ear.

Feliks blushed, Toris's gentle voice making the compliment even sweeter. "Stop, it looks the way it always does!"

"Yeah, well mine looks like a bird's nest no matter how many times I brush it."

"Well, I happen to like it. Your wavy hair is perfect for when I do this..."

With a smirk, Feliks wove a hand into Toris's thick hair as he straddled the brunet, keeping him in place as he kissed him.

When the two pulled apart, needing air, the deep blush on Toris's pale face made Feliks laugh, falling onto the bed beside his partner.

"Oh man, Liet, you look like a tomato!" Feliks guffawed, almost rolling from laughing so hard. "Better watch out; if Romano takes a look at you, he might get, like, sweet on you. Ooh, or Antonio! Can you imagine? He'd call you his little 'Bueno Tomato' or something!"

This only caused Toris to blush harder, which in turn made Feliks laugh louder.

"What do you say, Bueno Tomato? Do you want me to make your whole body blush? I can start with-- OOF!"

Feliks was cut off as a pillow smacked right into his face.

-

22. falling asleep on the other’s shoulder (IceLat)

Raivis was exhausted. He hadn't been sleeping well for the past few weeks (unfortunately, anxiety tended to do that to him), and he was finally reaching his limit. Even more unfortunately, it was in the middle of a world meeting. And to add one more 'unfortunately' to make it a triple threat, Mathias didn't even put his seat next to Toris or Eduard, like the arrangement usually was. Instead, Toris was sandwiched between Alfred and Feliks, while Eduard had Lili to his left, and the Dane himself to his right. Raivis had Eiríkur to his left, and Michelle to his right.

Too exhausted to even attempt to think of why the seating arrangement was the way it was, Raivis found his eyes closing, Roderich's soft voice as he gave his speech lulling him into a nap.

Suddenly, his eyes snapped open as he felt something soft against the side of his face.

"Whassat?" he slurred, sleep making his tongue not work properly. The feeling wasn't unpleasant; in fact, the warmth was making him want to fall back to sleep.

"Raivis. Are you okay?"

With a quiet yelp, Raivis realized what--more like who--he was resting against.

"Eiríkur! I am so sorry!" Blushing, Raivis pushed himself away from the Icelander, thoroughly embarrassed.

As other Nations started to look at them, Raivis blushed harder and looked down, pretending to go over his notes.

"It's okay," Eiríkur said, gently rubbing the shorter boy's shoulder. "You looked so tired, I didn't want to wake you."

"How long was I snoring against your shoulder?" Raivis muttered, his face still on fire.

"You were only out for like...ten minutes." Eiríkur leaned in closer, trying to stay quiet. "And for the record, you don't snore. You uh...looked kinda cute, actually."

"Ah... Thanks?" Latvia cursed his voice for going up an octave. But damn it, he'd been crushing on the silver-haired boy for years, and he said he looked cute? It felt surreal.

The rest of the meeting passed by in a blur, with Raivis and Eiríkur exchanging small nudges and quiet jokes about the various speakers. By the time it ended, Raivis was disappointed.

"Hey, umm, did you want to grab a bite to eat or something?" Eiríkur rubbed the back of his head, his pale face blushing just as pink as Raivis's own. "This was way more fun than other world meetings, and I didn't even get to show you my impression of Mathias, yet!"

"So, like a date?" Raivis almost slapped himself for blurting it out so quickly.

"Yeah." Eiríkur looked around, making sure none of the other Nordics heard it. "It's a date."

-

28. feeling for each other in the dark (DenEst)

"Great," Eduard muttered. "Just great."

Right as he was in the middle of an important spreadsheet his government wanted him to work on, the power cut out due to an impressively loud thunderstorm. Since his laptop was charging, almost dead from previous use, it went dark, as well. And since he was at Mathias's house for a quick vacation, rather than his own, he had no spares to use.

Fumbling around in the dark, he left the guest bedroom and carefully made his way downstairs.

He assumed he made it to the living room when he felt the couch brush up against his hip.

Suddenly, a loud CRASH, followed by a scream, shattered the silence of the darkened house, in between thunderclaps. And even more suddenly, Eduard found himself on the couch, a heavy weight pressed on top of him.

"Oh man, Ed! I am so sorry!"

Soon the pressure was off his chest, and Eduard was able to sit up.

A pair of callused hands felt around Eduard's chest and neck before cupping his face. "There you are!"

Amused, Eduard realized what happened. "Mathias, did you fall down the stairs and flop onto the couch, though you slammed into me first?"

"...Maybe?"

With a chuckle, Eduard leaned forward, resting his head against Mathias's chest, wrapping his arms around him. He was now perfectly content waiting out the storm.

-

50. putting a hand over the other’s mouth to shut them up (LatLiech) (You didn't ask for this one, but I had a cute idea for it, X'D)

"Raivis? What are you doing down there?" Lili was minding her own business, trying to grab an extra notebook from the conference center's supply closet, until she tripped over a pair of dress shoes, attached to the legs of a very familiar Nation.

"Hiding." Raivis blinked his large eyes, and Lili was mesmerized by the long, soft eyelashes that covered them.

"Why are you hiding?"

Raivis blushed, his ears turning pink before his face did. "I...spilled my water glass all over Ivan. He looked mad, so I ran and hid. And ended up here."

Lili was concerned. "He wouldn't hurt you now, would he?"

"Who knows." Raivis gripped the bottom of his shirt so tightly his hands went white. "Depends on if it's a good day or a bad day. If it's a good day, he'd just press on my head and make some weird comment. But if it's a bad day? Even now...he..."

Lili sat down next to Raivis, gently grabbing one of his hands. She didn't like seeing him this way; it reminded her too much of meetings long since past, where the boy's eyes were dull, and bruises marred his face and neck.

Raivis stiffened at her touch, though he soon melted into it. He removed her hand from his own, though he leaned forward and hugged her, burying his face into her chest, the fabric of her dress soft against his face.

Lili said nothing about where his head was; she saw that this was how he hugged Toris and Eduard, and recognized that he wasn't trying to intentionally feel her chest. Instead, she hugged him back.

After a few moments, the door creaked open. Raivis's eyes went wide, though Lili pressed a hand over his mouth before he could make a sound.

But instead of the large build of Ivan, it was only Francis. He took one look at the two Nations and smiled, winking at them before making a kissy face. He gave them both a thumbs-up, mouthing 'way to go, Raivis!' at the shorter boy.

"Your secret is safe with me." With a final wink, Francis shut the door.

Lili finally removed her hand from Raivis's mouth. She was sure her face was just as red as his.

Still… 

“Shouldn’t you know better than to insult the Dark One?” She laughed lightly, her voice pitching high as she made to stand. 

Eha’s face brightened red, the flush of embarrassment a clashing color to the other’s fair skin and blue colored clothing. “Maybe I wouldn’t insult the Dark One if the Dark One wasn’t being ridiculous,” she replied as she came to a stop in front of her. Her eyes softened, “Maybe if the Dark One would recognize what was in front of her-” 

“A trifling little maid?” Else teased, lips quirking as she made no attempt to dance away as she was normally wont to do. “You do know I see the future, right, dear?” 

“Then why can’t you see that I’m with you forever and open up?” 

It was said with such honesty that the voices quieted for a second and Else swallowed around the lump in her throat. “No one is forever,” she answered after a second, “No one!” 

“Our deal was you save my family and my people from the ogres and I come away with you forever,” Eha said, her hands reached out to grab Else’s softly. “You upheld your part, let me uphold my part.”

“No one stays forever, dear,” she repeated, her voice growing sharper as she did so. The voices of the curse echoed her words around her brain, reminding her of all the times that she had been left behind – reminding her why she had taken the curse on in the first place. The gentle touch burned, and she yanked her hands away, ignoring the way the other flinched slightly. “You’re a fool if you think you’ll stay around me forever – no one stays around monsters forever!” 

“You’re not a monster!” Eha shouted, lips pursing, “Stop calling yourself such rude words, you’re-” 

“Not a human.” Else moved, bowing once far enough away, “Definitely not a soft, pretty little woman like yourself.” She twirled, a dress forming on her body as she did so. Giggling, she attempted a curtsy. The unfamiliar movements were rough, causing her to trip over her own feet and tumble downwards, a laugh on her lips as she made contact with the floor. If she were human, it would’ve hurt, as she wasn’t, the pain was dusted away before she could even process it. 

“Else.” Her name on Eha’s lips was heavenly and for a second, as the other knelt down beside her, the skirt of her dress flaring out exactly as one would expect, she looked every bit the image of a princess. Oh, Else knew that Eha wasn’t one, but the sight of it brought forth an image from one of her visions, one that she quickly batted away. 

“I’m fine dear, worry not for this old crone,” she said, waving her hands in hopes of shooing the other away. It wasn’t that easy though. 

“I choose you,” Eha said softly, her voice barely a whisper in the large hall. Soft blue eyes stared at her, “I really do – I chose to go with you and I choose to stay, nothing you do can get rid of me.” 

Oh, the curse doubted that – murder her darling family in front of her, it whispered seductively, break her spirit – but with the determination in those darling eyes shining so brightly, Else wanted to lean in and choose her too. “You’re a foolish girl,” Else said instead. “Positively foolish.” 

Eha brightened. It truly was a wonderful sight. “All the best stories start with a foolish girl,” she said, as she made to stand and reached out a hand for Else. “They all have a foolish girl, a stubborn love interest, and a quest.” 

“Do you believe you’re in a story?” Else asked as she stood. She knew the other placed a lot of value on books – the two libraries she had all but taken over (been given) spoke of it – but she had never really heard the other talk so fanciful. It was something that had drawn Eha to Else, that clear levelheadedness the other showed when listing to her family why they had needed the Dark One’s help. 

“No.” Eha shook her head, smiling as she moved to get the straw off the table, “But my sister – the one who glared at you when you came to our home – she used to tell me stories before bed when I was a child. They were about doing the brave thing, the right thing, and well-” she paused here, dipping her eyes. After a second, she looked back up, mischief in blue eyes, “How about another deal?” 

“And what do you have to offer me?” Else was intrigued – would she use this to try to gain an upper hand, or would she use this deal for frivolous wishes?  “And what do you want in return?” 

“Nothing big,” Eha replied as she stopped in front of the spinning wheel, the basket slowing dropping to the ground with a decided thump. “I’ll tell you the rest of this story and you – you tell me about the belongings I found earlier this week; the ones I know you sent me away for.” 

The room seemed to freeze with her words. Else stared, unsure of what else to do. She wasn’t wrong, though perhaps Else was hoping that the girl wouldn’t have put two and two together and figured out that those things – her long-lost family’s things, now well hidden so that the girl would never ever find them again – were the cause of her attempted banishment. 

“Ah,” she said after finding her voice. 

“You don’t have to,” Eha said, hesitance in her words. She seemed to pause in her movements before deciding to come closer, laying a hand on Else’s arm. “I’m not going to force you to share something you don’t want to, but I – I just figured… Well, they hurt you, and my father used to tell me that talking about your pain helps.” 

“Wise man, your father.” It was said so softly that she doubted Eha could’ve heard her, but the smile that she got in return told her something else.  Her curse was oddly silent as she debated with herself on if she should take the deal or if she should just wave her hand and deposit the maid elsewhere in the castle, then again, it seemed to always been oddly silent whenever she thought for too long about her family. 

“Else?” Apparently, she was silent for too long. The worry was evident in Eha’s voice. Blue eyes looked up at her in concern.

“Two stories from you, my darling, and we’ll have a deal.”