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She felt his presence tickling the back of her neck just before he came to occupy the spot next to her at the counter.
“You know what would make this bar even more amazing?” his loud voice easily broke through the background chatter of the bar’s interior. “A new addition to the draught beers! I, personally, wouldn’t be opposed to some Carlsberg.”
Marie rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “Now why on earth would these good Belgian people do that when there are far superior beers out there?” she said as she gestured towards the bartender who looked decidedly unimpressed by Mads’ exclamation and left for the other side of the bar.
Biting on her lip to conceal a chuckle, Marie swivelled her head up and to the side, locking eyes. Green to blue. “Well?” she demanded, raising an eyebrow in silent challenge.
Mads’ wide grin grew even wider at the animated glint in her eye before he crooked his lips into a smug line. “Superior beers you say? Hmm, I might admit to that being the case, yet I don’t see Heineken on any of the taps either.”
Marie narrowed her eyes and scoffed. “That piss water? What utter nonsense you proclaim, monsieur Danemark!” She stuck up her nose in disgust while simultaneously biting the inside of her cheek to refrain from cracking a smile. “I should have you thrown out of this bar for a slight like that!”
Mads laid an elbow on the counter. His fingers brushed along the glass of Karmeliet she was holding in her hand. “And miss my charming company?”
“I’m sure I’ll survive.”
Mads’ smile grew mischievous at Marie’s reply. “I won’t go quietly.”
Marie straightened and leaned in, her eyes flitting down to his pants and back up to his freckled face. “Then I’ll knee you in the groin and drag you out myself.”
Mads let out a laugh and Marie’s lips twitched at the sound. His eyes, crooked at the corners, lingered on her face and he shook his head as if to get himself to focus back onto the present. “Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you look when considering violence?”
Marie couldn’t help her cheeks from colouring lightly at the praise. “Once or twice.”
“I bet,” Mads grinned and watched how Marie took a swig from her beer. The glass big enough to hide her face ─and her blush─ in. “So,” he cleared his throat. “How come you didn’t re-join the rest of us after you went to get another drink?”
He motioned towards a table in one of the bar’s corners where the other Nordics and Marie’s brothers were seated.
Timo was smiling and showing something on his phone to Jan, who did his best to look interested, while Berwald glared at him for noticing that he wasn’t. Louis was chatting amicably with Emil, who looked like he was hanging on every word, head in his hands. Next to Emil sat Lukas, watching the other two with a curious arch of his brow.
Marie pressed her lips together. “No reason,” she shrugged.
Mads gave her a look that clearly conveyed he did not believe her.
“Fine,” Marie conceded with a huff and an eye-roll. “It’s not that I do not enjoy all of your company, but after today’s hectic and noisy EU meeting I just wanted a few minutes of… quiet contemplation.”
Mads’ brow creased and he seemed to slump slightly in his chair. “Ah, I see.”
Marie tilted her head. “What?”
“Oh, Nothing.”
Now it was Marie’s turn to give him a look.
Mads cleared his throat under her scrutinizing gaze. “I just thought your partial seclusion had to do with what happened last week…” his ears turned red. “You know,… between us.”
Marie didn’t know where to look, remembering very well what Mads was referring to.
It had been a few weeks of constant meetings between the European countries and after such long working days, Marie would often offer the other nations to go get a drink. They were in her capital after all. She knew the best places. On one such an evening she and Mads had been the last ones to leave the karaoke bar she had corralled every nation into. A few drinks and a duet of ‘Why Did It Have To Be Me’ later, Marie had pulled Mads over the threshold of her house, up the stairs and into her bed.
“Right,” she said, worrying her bottom lip. “That might’ve also been part of it.”
She remembered how she felt the morning after. Ushering Mads out the door with the apology of the loaded workday ahead. Trying to silence her conflicted mind at having had the most amazing night in a long time with a man whose company she thoroughly enjoyed yet feeling… guilty of it.
Mads was silent for a few moments. “Why though?” he furrowed his brow, pure confusion on his face. “Didn’t you enjoy it?”
“Err…” Marie mumbled, somewhat flustered at the direct question. “I─ Well, no that’s not exactly wha─”
“You─ you didn’t enjoy it?!” Mads blurted out loudly, sporting a mortified expression of wounded pride. “I mean, I was a little bit tipsy… I’m usually never tired after just one go! Or ─ ah nej─ I didn’t give you enough attention, didn’t I? I should’ve gotten down on you like a real man, instead of just using my fingers and─”
“─Mads! No!” Marie interrupted, seeing how the bar-goers closest to them were starting to become very aware of their conversation.
“…No?” his brow furrowed even more. “I thought women liked that sort of thing?”
“Oh mijn god…” Marie threw a quick ‘don’t mind him, he’s just an idiot’ face towards the couple next to them who looked either scandalized or suspicious and held a finger in front of Mads’ mouth before he could start talking again. “Just… Shut up for a second,” she took a breath. “I did enjoy it. Very much even. But… I don’t know… It─ It just felt a bit awkward sitting at a table with you and… Lukas.”
If possible, Mads looked even more confused. “Why?”
Marie stared at him. “Because, well… You and Lukas?” she tilted her head to the aforementioned nation, who had now joined in on the conversation that Louis and Emil were having. “Aren’t you guys… together?”
Mads’ eyes grew wide. “Oh!” he exclaimed as realisation finally hit him.
And then he laughed.
Marie’s eyebrows disappeared behind her fringe as she looked on how Mads’ laughter subsided to small hiccups.
Mads met her perplexed stare. “No. No, we’re not together. We have been in the past, a few times, but not anymore. Though, come to think of it, a lot of people still seem to believe we’re a couple,” he said, turning to look at the Norwegian nation with a forlorn look in his eyes. “Lukas and I… Well, we will always be important to one another. We share too much history not to be. But it’s been some time since we were romantically or physically involved. So…” he turned back to give Marie his most winning smile. “I’m free to, err… get involved with others, so to speak.”
Marie’s eyebrows lowered at the explanation, a feeling of sympathy washing over her at Mads’ wistful expression. Yet the corner of her lip twitched at his last statement. “I see.”
“Preferably you.”
Marie’s cheeks dimpled but a similar melancholic look cast a shadow over her features. “I─” she swallowed thickly. “Thank you Mads but I─ I’m not sure if I’m ready for another… commitment yet.”
For once, Mads was quick to realise what ─or more accurately, who─ Marie was referring to. “Arthur, right?”
Marie pursed her lips, grabbing blindly for her glass to gulp down the last of her beer. “Arthur, indeed.”
She knew they were all practically immortal beings and ‘forever’ was a very long time for them, but with Arthur she had thought ‘forever’ was finally in her grasp. But everything with a beginning has an end, and even a nation couldn’t escape that fact. Even if they had decided to go their separate ways amicably, they had formed a personal commitment for nearly 180 years, and at times Marie still felt as if she was missing a limb.
Stuck in her thoughts, Marie hadn’t noticed Mads’ silent study of the emotions behind her eyes, but when he softly took a hold of the hand resting next to her ─now empty─ glass, she couldn’t deny the electricity that prickled her skin and she looked up into his eyes again.
“I like you, Marie. Like, really really like you. Your brother might be my best friend but I’ve always considered you as one of my best friends too. And last week… Well, I think I realised that I wanted more than that. We don’t have to make a big deal out of it. We can keep it light and simple. Go on a few dates. Just, you know… take things slow and see where it goes.” Mads inhaled deeply and looked away. “But I will not force you. So, if you do not feel the same way or you do not want to try, then that’s perfectly fine too. We’ll drop the subject and remain friends.”
Marie blinked, taken aback by Mads’ honest confession. How long had it been since someone had said such words to her? Her heart swelled with something she hadn’t felt in a long time and she wanted to follow its longing whispers.
“I─“ she struggled to get the words out. “I don’t know what to say.”
Mads nodded solemnly and released the hold on Marie’s hand. “That’s alright, you don’t have to.”
“I didn’t mean─” Marie tried when she realised he took her words as a rejection.
“No, no, it’s fine!“ Mads said airily, attempting to wave off his disappointment but failing miserably since he looked like a sad Golden Retriever. “Really! I’m fine! If this is what you want, then I’ll respect that! Because, you know─ I said I would, so… Yeah. That’s fine. Great even. Amazing. Fantastisk. Yeah… Okay, so I might really need a drink now. Bartender!” He hurriedly called, glancing desperately along the counter when he couldn’t see anyone.
Marie laid a hand on his arm but as he was still frantically scanning the bar for the bartender, he didn’t seem to notice. “Mads, please, you didn’t let me fini─”
“Ah that’s okay, you don’t need to explain yourself!” he interrupted. “You’re perfectly in your right to reject me, so no hard feelings!” His eyes finally locked on to his target. “Hej, bartender!”
Marie smiled apologetically when the bartender made a sign that he was busy but would be with them shortly, looking decidedly annoyed at their impatience. Besides that, the nearest bar-goers were once agian curiously looking their way, pulled out of their own conversations by Mads’ antics.
“Mads, calm down,” Marie strengthened her grip on his arm and pulled, trying to get him to look at her. “I never said I rejected you.”
Mads at least turned his body towards her but he was looking at anything but her in his attempt to stay cool. “No, no, it’s okay. You don’t need to say that. I get it! I really do─“ he stopped when he apparently lost sight again of the bartender, looking decidedly like he was about to have a meltdown. “Where the hell is that bartend─”
Marie couldn’t take the miscommunication and the sad puppy dog eyes anymore. She grabbed his jaw, her thumb and index finger at his cheeks, squeezing them until his lips puckered out into a pout and kissed him.
Mads was too surprised to react. His eyes round and dazed, and finally quiet.
“I want to try this out too,” Marie smiled when she was done kissing him, squeezing his cheeks once more for good measure before she released him from her hold and added fondly, “you big goof.”
Mads had the decency to look sheepish at that. A flush covering his freckled cheekbones.
Marie let her hand fall to his knee and looked up at him through half-lidded eyes. “You said to see where it goes from here, right?”
Mads nodded mutely.
“I think,” she grinned seductively, “I want to see this go towards your hotel room now.”
Mads matched her grin, a sparkle in his clear blue eyes, and quickly found his voice again. “Lead the way!”