And Finally We Meet Again ((Sweden and Finland))

[[x] Finland]

Sometimes, Finland wondered if being a nation made time and distance seem more or less real.

He still clearly remembered crossing the ocean, leaving what was possibly-oh, who was he kidding- leaving who was definitely the most important person to him behind him one heavy gray morning, trying to hold back tears so that they wouldn't fall. They didn't count if they didn't fall. That was what he would always tell himself, anyway. That was what he always told himself. Sometimes he wondered how much longer he would be able to trick himself.

Truly, he was being selfish every time he wished for the man again and he knew it. He loved him, did he not? What kind of sick fuck wished for their lover to come to a zombie infested pit only to possibly- likely- die soon after?

Though he asked the question over and over to try and curb his longing, he never wanted him any less.

[[x] Sweden]

Bleh. Sweden would have grumbled in dissatisfaction if he thought it would do him any good - it wouldn't, though. He had been expecting a bit more direction than just "T-The w-warehouse!" and a bit of frantic pointing from the men who had flown him over. They had taken off again almost immediately after he had disembarked from the airplane, which seemed a bit strange to Berwald. Were the men that afraid of zombies? But it was daylight, and they were in an open field, so they should be able to see anything coming their way...

It hadn't really been worth dwelling upon, though; Berwald knew that it would be best to get inside quickly so as to minimize the possibility of encounters with the dead, and so he set off in the direction the men had pointed. The quicker he got there, the better; arriving would put his mind and heart at ease. It had unnerved him when the other nations began to leave for zombie-infested North America, and it had alarmed him when Tino had left, too. He had not wanted him to leave, but what could he have said? They were nations, and it was their responsibility, in a way, to handle the problems that no mortal could. He knew Tino knew that as well; he knew that was why Tino had left. But Berwald couldn't stand the idea of his wife going off into danger without him. His mind would only be put at ease when he saw Tino was safe.

Luckily, he did not encounter much on his journey - there were a few sinister rustlings in sections of tall grass that made his heart leap, but nothing actually jumped out to attack him, so he continued on his way, eventually catching sight of the warehouse. You really couldn't miss it; it was the only thing that really seemed alive in the area. Just seeing the building made Berwald feel a little more at ease. Everything was probably fine (well, as fine as things could be in the middle of a zombie apocalypse). He raised his fist to knock on the the tall doors.

[[x] Finland]

The heavy banging on the door managed to draw Tino's attention partially away from his self-pity and back to reality. Someone was at the door- he should really get it for them. Right. Focus, now is not a time to be heart broken- or rather, any other time would work just as well. For now though, he had responibilities to the others.

Slowly he drew himself up, joints weak and muscles lithe from having rested too long. He should have known better to indulge himself, weakness coupled with a lack of alertness was a sure-fire way to die out here. It was also a pretty quick way to get someone else killed, too. Quickly he shuffled over to the door, putting on his same worn out smile as usual. Maybe Norway had bought fish again, or Spain another sample- anything to make him think and make this hurt just a little less.

It took him a grunt and a heave to get the heavy door to move (not that he was complaining about it; hell he was glad it stood between him and the zombies) and he pulled it open. He was about to open his mouth to apologize for haven taking so long, when all of a sudden his voice caught in his throat and his lips froze in their half-parted position.

"Berwald."

[[x] Sweden]

A moment of paranoia popped through Berwald's head as he waited for someone to come to the door - what if they had been infiltrated and been unable to get word out? What if the warehouse was actually infested by ravenous zombies? What if the other nations had been infected and reanimated into nasty hungry creatures made of rotting flesh? A fleeting, horrifying image of zombie Tino flashed through his imagination. He suppressed a disgusted shiver, instead glaring at the ground, willing the image to go away.

The door lurched open - it was heavy, that was good for security - and Berwald redirected his glaring gaze at whoever had opened it. Mental images of zombie Tino dissolved in favor of the reality standing before him - Tino. Alive and well, as far as he could tell from just looking at him. Berwald belatedly realized that he was staring and averted his gaze momentarily, quickly scanning the room beyond, then flicking his gaze back to Tino. It was so good to see him; relief, joy, and a sense of calm all wrapped in to one.

Berwald wanted to touch him - reassure himself that this was real, that Tino was really here, alive, unhurt even though the world had pretty much gone to hell, "'M glad t'see you," he said gruffly, reaching out to clap a hand on Tino's shoulder. It was good to be here, even among the death, destruction, and desolation.

[[x] Finland]

The weight of the other's hand weighed down on him, and for a moment Tino almost forgot to breathe. Oh my god it had felt like forever since-

No time to think right now. Thinking was too hard. It didn't fit the moment.

He tried to ignore the stinging in his eyes- tears didn't count if they didn't fall, what the hell did he have to cry about anyway- and slowly, carefully, as though one wrong move would ruin everything, he stood up on tiptoes and wrapped his arms around the other man's shoulders.

"I'm glad to see you too." He replied, mechanically, unsure of what else he wanted to say. I'm sorry? I missed you? I thought about you the entire time? What he really wanted to do was let it all out, but for some strange reason he remained frozen, almost as though he was dreaming and doomed to wake back up any second. So instead of moving he waited for Berwald to move again before he went any further.

The carefulness of the moment vaguely reminded him of a gentler time in the field by the house that they'd built, and suddenly he missed the man in his arms all over again.

[[x] Sweden]

There was an instant where Berwald thought he saw something sad pass over Tino's face - Why would he be sad? Did he not want them to be back together again? But then Tino was hugging him and saying he was glad, too. That made him feel a little better, but he still felt a bit uneasy about how subdued Tino was. Had something changed? Had something bad happened, after all?

His mind started constructing various possibilities of things that could have gone wrong in his absence. Hopefully nothing too bad had happened. He shouldn't think about those kinds of things, though. It wouldn't do him any good to just wonder and worry.

"Ev'rything okay?" he asked, bringing up his arms to return the hug and inching a little closer. It was a little embarrassing to admit, even just to himself, but being here and close to Tino was such a comfort. Berwald had never considered himself to be the sentimental type, but well... Fine. He was being sentimental. Screw it. It was Tino, so it was justified.

[[x] Finland]

Relieved that Berwald had returned the hug, he kept one arm wrapped around him and freed his other arm, resting his hand on the Swedish man's face.

"I- oh god I missed you Berwald." He managed to choke out, leaning in a bit closer and beginning to stroke his cheek.

"I never wanted to leave you like that." He said, gently. "I just... Didn't know how else to. They made me come, Ber. And... And I deciced that I couldn't make you go through this, too. I thought it would be easier if I just never had to say goodbye-"

At that his voice cracked, and his lip trembled slightly. Oh god dammit. Who the hell did he think that he was fooling, trying to say so calm and collected? It was useless.

"I'm so sorry." He whispered, looking down at their feet, finally on the same ground for the first time in what seemed like forever.

[[x] Sweden]

Berwald felt his cheeks heat up as Tino touched his face. He wasn't quite sure what it was about the other man that made him feel warm and fuzzy and slightly flustered inside... His eyes fluttered closed momentarily as he relished the gentle contact.

So Tino had missed him... Berwald felt simultaneously flattered and guilty, hearing that. He hated to be the cause of any kind of pain to his lover, but at the same time, it was validating to hear that he cared.

As Tino carried on to explain his actions, why he had left without a word, Berwald stiffened in his arms, pulling away slightly. He didn't want to hear about this. He didn't want to dredge up the feelings that had engulfed him when Tino had left - the confusion, the sadness, the feelings of abandonment. He had spent far too much time wondering why he hadn't at least said goodbye. Didn't he know that Berwald would follow him anywhere? Didn't Tino know that he was worth it all - the danger, the fear, the possibility of death. Berwald would gladly hack apart a legion of undead monsters to keep him by his side.

So why hadn't he said anything before leaving? At first, Berwald had thought it was because Tino didn't want him to follow. Apparently, from what he was hearing, that was true, but it wasn't as bad as Berwald had first feared - it wasn't because Tino didn't want him anymore.

"Don't apologize," he said quietly, looking away at the lovely skyline of the barren wasteland that this continent had become, "Y're m'wife. I want t'go through this with you."

[[x] Finland]

It made Tino flinch slightly when Berwald pulled away from his arms. He feared that he had really hurt him this time. His lover wasn't invincible, no matter how much he looked it.

Carefully he listened to the other's words (blushing as he emphasized wife- he had actually missed the title in their time apart) and they reminded him how the depths of the man's love for him never ceased to amaze him. Who in hell would want to go through a zombie apocolypse for someone, even for a lover- or wife, as the Swedish man preferred to say.

Apparently Berwald did- for him, anyway. Tino moved forward, pulling him into another, tighter embrace.

"I... Oh Berwald." He started. "I... I told myself that I wouldn't tell you, didn't tell you, because I didn't want you to have to do this, but..."

He stood up on tiptoes to look him in the eyes.

"I'm selfish, Ber. And if you say things like that now, I don't think I'll ever be able to let go of you again."

[[x] Sweden]

Seeing the blush on Tino's face reminded him of how much he had missed their time together - he had missed watching him talk, smile, move, and he had especially missed making Tino blush. He was so adorable, and now they were back in each others' arms. As Tino hugged him tighter, Berwald let out a little happy sigh.

He knew he didn't have to do this, technically, but staying behind without Tino wasn't really a viable option in his mind. It felt like he'd lost a part of himself when he had left; Berwald had never gotten used to walking around their house feeling the emptiness and the silence. He had caught himself on several occasions listening for Tino's movements from across the house only to realize that the other man wasn't there, or poking his head into a room to see what Tino was working on now only to be sharply reminded that the house was empty, save for himself.

No, staying in that house had never been an option.

Berwald met Tino's eyes, feeling a little self-conscious, fearing that the raw emotion he was feeling - echoes of the pain of his loneliness, joy and relief at being reunited - would be evident in his eyes.

"Good," he said in reply. Don't ever let go of me again...

[[x] Finland]

Aquamarine eyes met his own, and Tino tried to read him to the best of his ability. There was tiredness, pain, and somehow maybe a hint of relief in them, and all of it made his heart twist and throb in ways that he hadn't remembered feeling since the last time that they had been together.

He wondered, if he could see himself, would he look the same way? He had lost countless nights of sleep from his decision, and he wasn't the least bit proud of it. But having Berwald with him again definitely did combat at least some of that hurt, and he was sure going forward- even in the middle of this apocolypse- he would fare far better with his lover than without. He wasn't sure how to go back to being alone now, feeling the other's warmth against him again. No, he surely couldn't let go again at this rate.

Good, the other replied, and Tino smiled shyly. Again he released one of his arms to cup the other's face, this time guiding his chin a little lower so that he could bring his lips closer.

"If that's really what you want, Berwald." He said, softly, breath ghosting across the other man's face. He scooted a little closer, trying to close that pesky gap that was a result of their height difference, and finally placed his lips against the Swedish man's for the first time in what felt like a lifetime.

[[x] Sweden]

Good; Tino was smiling again. And then he was touching Berwald's face, and moving closer... Berwald let him guide his face closer. He felt his cheeks growing warm again - he loved being close to Tino, feeling his touch. That was what he wanted - had wanted for some time now.

He tried to slouch a bit as Tino kissed him, but partway through the motion decided that, God damn it, he had waited for so long to be back with Tino again - he wrapped his arms tightly around Tino's waist, held him close, and lifted him off the ground so that they could kiss comfortably. That was better. He allowed himself to smile slightly into the kiss, enjoying the feeling of their chests pressed close together and his arms wrapped securely around his lover's body. It had been far too long since they had been together.

[[x] Finland]

With a moan of appreciation, Tino took his hand from Berwald's face and instead wrapped his arm around the other's shoulders for more stability. He leaned into the kiss a little further at that point, gently swiping his tongue over Berwald's lips to deepen it.

There was a warmth that he had been missing, and in that moment he had it again. There was something about Berwald that made him feel safe, loved, maybe even needed, and it was addicting. He allowed one of his hands to find its way into short, choppy blonde hair and twisted his fingers gently into it, getting even better leverage.

[[x] Sweden]

Berwald gave a little satisfied hum as Tino wrapped his arms around his shoulders and deepened the kiss. He pulled away, breathless, as hands ran through his hair, eyes fluttering closed as he focused on the sensation. When he opened his eyes again, he looked down at the man in his arms, a look of speechless wonder on his face.

He needed more. Now.

His eyes darted about quickly, looking for a suitable surface to press his lover up against - no, that was the still-open door, that wouldn't do... He lifted Tino over to the wall and pressed himself close, unwrapping one arm from his waist so that he could trail his fingertips gently along his cheek. He pressed another kiss to Tino's lips, resting his hand at the junction of his neck and ear, reverently caressing the soft skin there.

[[x] Finland]

Now against the wall, Tino wrapped a leg around Berwald's waist to steady himself in their new position, smiling lovingly at the other. He shivered in enjoyment when the man began to trace his fingertips over his skin and he leaned into the touch, welcoming it. He was caught in another kiss and he welcomed it, making a small noise of enjoyment as he parted his lips.

The fingertips dragging over his sensitive skin and the mouth over his own were making him dizzy with pleasure, and he let himself succumb to the sensations. It had been far too long, he decided. No way he was going without this again.