Coming Together; slipping

Sweden's head fell back and he let out his breath.

Leaning up against the brick building, he watched his breath disperse in the air. Early spring and it was still cold.

Sweden was feeling his self control ebb away little by little. Breaking away like the flecks of nail polish on those girls fingernails that had just walked by.

He licked his dry lips and pulled a hand out of his coat pocket to look at his watch. Finland should be back pretty soon. After all, Sweden was just waiting right outside of the post office for him.

His eyes drifted shut and when he opened them again it was to the crunch of boots against the hard dirt mixed with pebbles.

Finland walked up to him and reached high up to tap Sweden's nose.

"Your nose is getting all red." He said, "Sorry it took so long. You'd think there wouldn't be so many people using the post office anymore. " He looked up and was startled by the sharp expression on Sweden's face. "A-anyway! L-let's get going then. I-I don't want to make us late for the meeting with the other Nordics..." Finland trailed off.

They started walking side by side down the little road that the post office was on and other small anonymous shops, heading toward the main road.

"Sorry again for keeping you waiting."

"'s no problem."

"Eh, well I'm glad then." Finland awkwardly smiled. "I don't know where the time went! To think I was almost late sending in my bills. I swear I don't know where theseventeenth and eighteenth went..."

It was an extraordinarily ordinary looking day. Small shops were open, a few other people were out walking and the sky was an absolute cloudy white.

"... 's not th' nineteenth." Said Sweden.

Finland stopped walking and looked straight up at him. "Eh... It's not the nineteenth...Ruotsi?"

"No. 's seventeenth."

"Oh..." Surprise written all over his face, he looked down at the sidewalk. Sweden waited patiently and when Finland looked up he looked remorseful.

"I'm- I'm really sorry Ruotsi, but since I got the days wrong the Nordic meeting is actually... two days from now." Finland was afraid Sweden would be irritated or angry. After all, this was such a huge mistake. Two days was a big time difference.

All that Sweden had on his mind though was how adorable Finland was looking up at him with that face.

"'S alright." Sweden said and reached out to pat Finland's head. It was one of those times his body reacted without his consent. Instead of patting his head, Sweden brushed his hand across Finland's cheek then he dropped his hand.

Finland's face reddened and he laughed nervously. He quickly ignored Sweden's actions and started walking again as if nothing had happened.

This time though, they walked back in the direction of Finland's house.

When they reached Finland's house and had entered Finland wasn't quite sure what to do. It seemed he had Sweden for the whole da-

Finland stopped right in the middle of his thoughts. He didn't just have Sweden for today. He had him for the next two and a half days.

Oh what am I going to do...? Finland thought frantically.

"Er, can I get you something to drink?" Finland asked.

"I'm fin'" Sweden answered.

"Oh... okay...Um."

Sweden thought it was charming when Finland wasn't sure what to say to him. It was really so cute seeing him be awkward.

"Erm, since we have so much time before dinner how about a movie?" He really had no other ideas at the moment.

"Alr'ght." Sweden said, looking at Finland with his piercing gaze.

Finland started sweating under the pressure of Sweden's eyes. It crossed his mind that he should probably be used to it by now.

They went to Finland's living room which contained a side table next to a couch and a television set with attached DVD player and the like. It was just a small neutral room really.

As Sweden sat on the couch while Finland knelt in front of the TV, Sweden noticed how the couch was more like a loveseat. They'd be sitting very close together... Sweden sighed and wondered if he'd be able to behave himself.

Finland heard the sigh behind him and flicked through the few DVDs he had a bit faster, trying to hurry up.

Sweden couldn't help but notice the view he had. And the position Finland was in.

Finland was on his knees. Bent forward slightly.

Sweden's eyes traveled down the curve of Finland's back and appraised his slightly parted thighs from behind. His rear curved against his dress pants pleasantly.

He bit his lip and abruptly looked away. This was exactly what he shouldn't be doing! He swallowed quietly as the image lingered in his mind.

As Finland stood up and turned around, having picked a movie and put it in, he noticed Sweden's cheeks were slightly pink. It flashed through his mind that Sweden was really attractive with a blush.

The thought left a light pink hue on Finland's own face.

He quickly sat down and kept his eyes focused down somewhere on the carpet in front of the television.

They sat in silence, but that was alright because the sound from the movie made up for it. Later, neither of them could remember what it was about or even what movie they'd been watching.

Sort of just zoning out while looking at the screen, the next scene came as a surprise to both of them.

It was one of those passionate make-out scenes. The long haired heroine climbed onto the hero's lap and straddled him. Their lips pressed together and mouth's opened.

It was one of those moments when you become ultra aware of the person you're sitting next to. When one of those scenes takes you by surprise.

Admittedly it could have been a worse scene though.

Sweden had an advantage because he was much taller. He looked at Finland without moving his head much.

Finland was doing his best to remain unmoved and keep his face still. He didn't remember having a scene like this in any of his movies.

It suddenly struck Finland that if he kept totally silent and just watched then it'd look like he was into it. He wasn't!

Finland leaned back, let his head tilt up to glance up at Sweden in what he thought was a nonchalant way.

Their eyes met and Finland felt such a profoundly strong wave of awkwardness that he turned back to face the screen. Slowly.

Sweden continued looking at Finland. He knew it was probably called for for him to look away, but he didn't. He never felt awkwardness like other people and anyways he was tired of pretending to not be staring at Finland. Really. His self restraint was slipping.

A loud noise from the television drew Sweden's gaze away. Determined to prove to himself he could do it if he really wanted to, he kept his eyes on the screen for the rest of the movie.

The movie eventually ended having sufficiently burned about two hours. Finland was just glad that by the time it ended the only thing left to do was eat dinner then retire to bed.

"Er, so why don't you wait here while I make dinner, okay?" Finland said nervously; his ulterior motive being to get some time away.

Sweden looked at Finland; frankly even if his restraint was slipping he'd prefer to stay by Finland's side. Risking it.

"Why d'n't I help?"

Finland felt frozen. Stuck. Really, what could he do? "S-Sure! T-that'd be g-great, Ruotsi." He smiled tensely.

He stood up and Sweden followed closely behind him. He shuffled into the kitchen and walked up the sink. Turning the taps on, he washed his hands then dried them with the towel conveniently left on the tiled counter from earlier. Sweden followed suit and it wasn't long before both of them stood at the cutting board, chopping vegetables to put into the pot of boiling water on the stove. Eventually, with everything added in the pot, it'd be a kind of stew.

Finland watched Sweden's hands moving, chopping the vegetables evenly, through his lashes. He felt he could sense that Sweden really meant well. After all, he was helping him cook even though he was the guest; Finland felt a stab of guilt at that. He should have been more forceful, but with Sweden it was hard.

Chopping his own vegetable, he continued to watch Sweden. Such large steady hands. Finland really thought a person's hands said a lot about them.

Sweden found a sort of calm contentedness at the combination of Finland's presence and the repeated motion of cutting and chopping. The kitchen was warm, but Sweden was sure that part of it was that he was simply feeling the effects of being so close to the other.

This went on for awhile, before all the vegetables were chopped and added to the pot, along with chopped bits of meat that Finland took from his fridge. It would take at least half an hour for everything to cook.

"Um," Said Finland, unsure what to do to fill up the time again. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Do you want to see your- the guest bedroom? I've changed things around a bit." Finland aimed a smile at Sweden.

Sweden stared. Such a sweet smile... and aimed at himself no less. It made Sweden melt inside.

"Mn." He nodded gruffly.

"O-Okay then!" Finland exclaimed.

He started moving from the room and Sweden following behind him. As Finland started down the hallway he glanced back a few times. Each time Sweden was at the same distance and looking back at him, so Finland just let an awkward smile grace his lips each time.

The last door on the right was the bedroom Sweden usually stayed in. Finland didn't get guests all that often besides Sweden (and those weren't usually overnight visits). He supposed, as a whole, he was most often visited by the Nordics. All of them had spent a few nights at his place over the years. But Sweden visited the most out of all of them. So over the time, Finland found himself thinking of it as Sweden's bedroom. Which wasn't right. It was the guest bedroom. He'd shaken his head more than a few times when he'd caught himself thinking of it as Sweden's.

He opened the door and stepped inside, walking in a bit so that Sweden could stand next to him.

"Well, um, I moved things a bit." Finland restated, and gestured at the room.

Sweden glanced and didn't find anything too different besides the arrangement of the simple bed, dresser, and nightstand moved. All were of a light wood. The bed's covers were light green, a color Sweden knew Finland liked.

"Er, what do you think?" Finland wasn't quite sure why he was asking. He knew by now that he could be pretty certain the response he'd get would be the usual nod or single worded response.

"Reminds m' of you."

Finland blinked, surprised. "Oh." Was the only thing he could respond with. For some reason he was pleased that Sweden had surprised him by speaking more, but he still found it just as hard to reply.

Finland was even more surprised when the corners of Sweden's mouth turned up and he spoke again.

"You're a good wif.'"

Of course. Of course that's what he'd say, Finland thought, a mixture of exasperated and embarrassed. He ended up blurting out a question that he'd never quite gotten to asking. That's what he told himself.

"Why... Do you call me your wife...?"

Sweden was silent.

"I am a man you know." Finland went on.

Sweden had been holding himself back all day. Years if he could bear to think about it clearly. Every day since they had left Russia's place together. And this... It was like he couldn't hold back any longer. He was aware this wasn't the most opportune time, but he couldn't find it in himself to wait one second longer. Not after so long.

Unable to stop himself even if he wanted to, Sweden reached out and brushed the side of Finland's face and left his hand there.

Finland's eyes widened and his mouth parted open. He couldn't say anything, too stunned by the contact and the fact that the hand wasn't pulling away after a moment or two.

Sweden's eyelids lowered and he leaned down till his mouth was next to Finland's ear. His face was out of view from the others.

" 's be'ause"

Too far gone to stop, Sweden still wondered what Finland would do. And if this would all lead to nothing. Was actually he really doing thi-

"I l'ke you."

Saying it, his heart hurt. Always keeping silent. Always following along.

Saying it aloud, and to Finland, really made Sweden's submerged feelings come to surface.

Finland trembled. His heart picked up and he felt shaky, unstable.

Very quietly Finland said, "What..?" His face started to color.

Sweden pulled back so that he could see the other's face. He didn't say anything. All that was left was to wait to see what would happen.

Panicked, Finland said, "Y-You d-don't just say things like that!" His cheeks were really starting to burn.

Receiving no reaction, Finland became flustered. He squeezed his eyes shut and didn't dare to breath in the quiet surrounding the two of them.

In the next second though his eyes sprang open after feeling something press against his lips. His eyes opened to see Sweden kissing him.

Finland gasped and froze still even as Sweden continued to press their lips together.

After a long moment, Sweden pulled back, his own cheeks tinged pink.

Finland shook and his hands took a hold of Sweden's shirt. His leaned forward, resting his forehead against Sweden's chest. His hands trembled and his breath came out unevenly. His heart was pounding in his chest.

Sweden put his arms around Finland and held him in the quiet room.

Neither of them said anything.

They really don't talk much do they? ^_^ They don't have much conflict either.
I have a hard writing these two! I don't think I'm very good at it, honestly. I'm sorry it's so mundane ^^"
orz Thank you for reading.