Untitled dribble no. 2 (Hetalia: Nordics/moonshine)
"Su-san, I was thinking..."
Sweden stops shuffling through the top shelf of the wardrobe that Finland couldn't reach, and turns to look over his shoulder. Finland, satisfied with having his attention, continues. "Do you think we should invite Estonia along?"
"Estonia?"
"Well, you know how he's always thought of himself as part of the family, and..." and Finland trails of, and Sweden does not answer, but stares as though he is waiting for Finland to get to the point.
"Just a thought," Finland finished lamely.
"Mm," Sweden answers and turns back to the wardrobe.
*
"In here," says Norway and pushes the door open with one arm, standing aside to let Finland enter. The room is small, the ceiling as low as the rest of the cabin and the window not letting much light in. There's barely enough space on the floor to turn around; the room is dominated by what would not pass as a double bed anywhere considered fit for permanent residence these days.
"You know, we're not - " he starts, and tries to smile as he fishes for words for to continue, "I mean, I know what Su-san says sometimes, but we aren't actually -"
"Mm," Norway answers, looking as convinced as Sweden had when he tried to explain about Estonia. "You should try to see if you can fit your things under the bed."
Somewhere on the other side of the wall, the sound of Denmark calling dibs on the top bunk and Iceland's muted agreement can be heard.
Finland sights a little to himself, and starts tugging his sleeping bag out of its sack.
*
His mobile is not receiving any signals, to which Norway says something about the mountains and the lack of permanent settlements. Denmark sighs forlornely as he he snaps his shut, and asks what they're even going to be doing up here.
*
"How can you complain about the hike when you weren't even carrying what you were supposed to?" you don't normally hear Norway speak this much.
"That might have been just as good - I mean, what if I hadn't forgotten? Ha, I'd still be down by the road trying to get my backpack off the ground!" neither Sweden nor Norway seems to find it nearly as funny.
"And you know, isn't it rude to tell guests to bring the beer?" Norway's eyes narrows minutely. Sweden's stare gets just that much flatter.
"For Christ's sake," Norway finally mutters and gets to his feet. Finland struggls with shuffling the ragged stack of cards with pictures of lighthouses at the North and Baltic sea and does not point out that Denmark never would have been able to carry that much alone.
"We need coffee," Norway says as he returns to slam an almost full bottle that once has contained some sort of soft drink onto the table. Denmark winces minutely, and Finland barely keeps himself from doing the same.
*
It's just a principle, really, that mixing your liquor is a kind of unspoken defeat. Finland squeezes his eyes shut and does not grimace as he drinks. He even manages to smile as he puts down the empty coffee cup, and Denmark stares in admiration, Sweden stares in subtle disapproval, and Norway simply stares.
"So, you're dropping the EU this time around, too?" Denmark starts, and Norway raises his barely-not-steaming cup with a glover.
"'s not his fault," says Sweden, leaning over the table.
"A membership would not be relevant at this point in time," Norway says, an uncharacteristic terseness in his voice warning about where this will end if the question is pursued - but since when has Denmark ever /learned/?
"No, seriously, you've never answered properly. And with Iceland and all - " Denmark continues. Norway glowers into his cup. Sweden glowers at Denmark. Finland wishes that Estiona was there.
*
Later, he has long since tuned out of the conversation to try and bring the portrait behind Denmark's head into focus as he rests his head on his arms, folded in front of him on the table. He has pushed the cup aside, and it takes him a few second to notice that that's Iceland shaking his shoulder. He turns to look at him, and Iceland leans forward to speak quietly.
"I need a smoke. Come with me."
Finland looks to where Sweden is stirring sugar into his coffee as Norway is rambling about some kind of party membership and apparently blaming Denmark for it, and pushes away from the table with some effort. The room sways around him as he stands up, and he stumbles a little as he steps towards the door. Some part of him cringes as he feels Iceland's arm come up around him to help his balance.
The air is crisp in his nose as he sinks down on the steps in front of the door and leans against the wall.
"I didn't realize it hit me that hard," he says as he closes his eyes to the night, and brings a hand up to rub a heated cheek.
"It's a hundred and twenty proof, you know," Iceland says beside him, and a lighter clicks a few seconds before the smell of tobacco smoke envelops them.
"I don't think you need to go outside here - Denmark's smoking inside," Finland finally remembers, still not opening his eyes.
"You looked like you could need some air," Iceland answers, and that is when Finland realizes that the other is completely sober.
"You're not drinking?"
"Norway won't let me have it."
"Good for you," says Finland, and continues with what he never would have spoken out loud if he was sober, "it tastes like piss."
"So they say," Iceland answers, and when Finland opens his eyes, he holds out an unlit, hand-rolled cigarette to him. Finland stopped smoking years ago, but the familiarity of pressing his thumb down as the lighter sparks has not lessened.