![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
Contour Lines [Netherlands/Romania]
Title: Contour Lines
Fandom: Hetalia
Characters/Pairing: Netherlands/Romania
Rating: 18+
Length: 5k
Summary: Keeping a relationship going when you're far apart can be difficult. But for Romania and Netherlands, it's worth the trouble.
Other: Written for Char as part of the Fandom Trumps Hate charity auction. Thanks a bunch!
Contour Lines
The one good thing about world meetings was that they were an excuse to go out, get around, visit places you normally wouldn't, and see nations that you usually didn't. Nothing ever really got accomplished at these get-togethers, and that suited most nations fine.
One of the many downsides was that sometimes they took place at less-than-ideal times of year.
Romania blew on his hands once again, and wished that he'd packed gloves. Or mittens. Nice, toasty, thick wool ones. In his haste to get out the door in the early hours of the morning, he hadn't thought to bring them. The cold was bad enough, but the sea air made it bite, nipping at his hands and slipping beneath the collar of his coat. He’d barely been in Helsinki two hours, and he was already looking forward to leaving.
Where snow had fallen undisturbed, it sat piled high and fluffy, brightening up a dark city made darker by the winter night hanging over the morning. It left a thick coating on roofs and window sills, and draped over the gleaming white cathedral, dusting its domed roof like powdered sugar.
On the sidewalks, foot traffic had churned the snow to mud and then tramped it down flat. Romania glanced upward, wondering if the sharpness he scented in the air meant the sky was going to dump another load of it.
A few flakes fell as he made his way through the streets. Romania picked up the pace a little in the face of that. Soon, he turned the corner and saw the cafe he'd been looking for – the person he’d been aching to see.
Netherlands had arrived the previous evening. There he was, standing a little farther off, looking much too alert for this kind of morning, smoking a cigarette as he waited without any care for the cold, towering over everyone else that passed by.
He lifted his head at the sound of Romania approaching, and a hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "Took you long enough," Netherlands said.
"At least I'm here," Romania said, flashing him a smile. "Come on, let's get inside. I'm freezing."
The cold wasn't the only reason that Romania wanted to get indoors. It wasn't hard to admit that – and he had a feeling that he wasn't alone.
When the two of them were settled at their table together, with some decent pastry and truly horrible coffee, he watched as Netherlands unwound the long scarf from around his neck, letting his gaze trail with the line of his movement. It was a bit indulgent to stare like that, but after the morning he'd had, a little indulgence wouldn't hurt. Romania rested his chin on one hand, took a long sip of coffee, and let himself keep looking.
"Like what you see?"
Words he'd heard a million times, and in a million contexts, and they never failed to make him grin. "I might," Romania said, nudging at Netherlands' foot under the table. "It's been a while since I've had the chance to enjoy the view, you know?"
This wasn't entirely true, and they both knew it. For months, they'd been sending each other photographs back and forth. Oh, it had started innocently enough, with a picture of a sunny morning in the city and a mention that some company would be nice – but that picture led to others. Deep, dark forests to get lost in. Never-ending fields of pristine flowers waiting to be picked. Winding alpine roads. Long canals sparkling in sunlight. Rugged mountains sharp against the sky.
That last one had resulted in a phone call, and the two of them spent way more time than they should have deep in conversation – if you could call it conversation. Deep in something, at least.
But pictures and phone calls couldn't compare to the real thing. Now they were going to have a few days together, and they were going to savour it. But....
"Are you sure you're fine with sharing a room?" Romania asked, nudging at Netherlands' foot again.
Netherlands' brows lifted. "Cheaper that way," he said, giving a little shrug.
"That's not what I meant, exactly."
"You always end up in mine anyway. We're just making it simpler."
That was true enough. But Romania did know that while Netherlands enjoyed his company, he also liked having some space. Still – if he wasn't bothered by it, Romania wasn't going to let it bother him either.
They hadn't seen each other in months, and so many things that he wanted to say kept turning over in Romania's mind. But given that they were in public, and very soon they would be stuck in a world meeting and tasked with the job of at least pretending to have their minds on it – maybe it was best to keep his thoughts to himself for the moment, even if Netherlands probably had an idea of what he was thinking.
So, he settled for, "It's good to see you," and hoped that got the message across.
By the twitch of a smile at the corner of Netherlands' lips, he could guess that it did.
Their breakfast together was much too short. In no time, they were back in the cold again. Romania shivered, ducking his face into the collar of his coat against the freezing air.
"Wait," Netherlands said, stopping.
Romania looked up, ready to tell him that this had better be good, because he didn’t want to spend one more second than necessary outside. He held back the comment when he realized that Netherlands was unwinding the scarf from around his neck. "You’re sure?" he asked as Netherlands draped it over him.
Netherlands grunted. "It's cold," he muttered.
He said it as if that explained everything, but Romania knew that Netherlands didn't like this kind of weather much better than he did. "Thanks," he said as he tightened it around his neck, deciding not to argue. With Netherlands, it was best to just be grateful. "Come on, let's get going."
They walked side by side, Romania stepping briskly to keep up with Netherlands' long strides.
"How long d'you bet this one will take before someone throws something at somebody?" Netherlands asked.
Romania laughed. "I'll give it two hours, max."
That was how long it had taken for the last meeting to dissolve into chaos, and nobody was even remotely surprised.
But until then, they'd have to at least try to take it seriously.
Taking things seriously wasn't easy. At all.
Given the option between paying attention while Germany droned on, and doing anything else, Romania decided that people-watching was much more interesting than whatever it was that Germany was talking about. He let his gaze slide around the room, lingering on each nation for a moment.
England was sitting with his arms folded over his chest, glaring at France, as if they'd had some kind of argument earlier. If anybody was likely to throw anything today, Romania thought, it would be one of those two.
Australia looked as if he was about to doze off. Next to him sat Austria, glancing at him out of the corner of his eye, as if suspicious that at any moment Australia might fall asleep on him.
Romania held back a snort, and after sweeping his gaze over the rest, finally let himself look over toward Netherlands.
Now, there was someone who looked as if he was paying attention. Glancing toward the front of the room for a moment, expression serious, apparently taking it all in – and then scribbling something down in his notebook.
Taking notes? Really? He made a good show of it, but Romania knew better. That notebook was full of ballpoint pen sketches; he'd put money on that.
Resting his head against one hand, he watched him draw. Took in the familiar way his brows knitted in concentration, the smooth strokes of his pen across the page. If only all of this could be over, Romania thought, and they could go do something else. Something more fun.
His thoughts went to the room they'd be sharing that night. Usually, toward the end of an evening out, there would be the awkward pause as they discussed whose room to go to for a bit of privacy. And when that was all over, there was always more awkwardness, the question of whether to stay or go lingering unsaid until one of them asked outright, or invited the other to stay. This time, though, there would be none of that. They would go up together, and spend the night together, and wake up together. The fact that they had bothered to plan it out this time made it feel so final, so deliberate, that it made him anticipate it more than usual.
But at the moment, Romania decided, he'd settle for doing anything and being anywhere other than where he currently was. Hell, he'd even settle for a walk out in the freezing cold, as long as he had Netherlands for company.
Finally, Netherlands seemed to sense that he was being watched. His gaze lifted from the notebook and flicked straight over to Romania.
Romania let a smirk play over his lips, and got a small smile in return, little more than a quirk of the mouth. That was all, and Netherlands broke eye contact again, as if not wanting to be seen distracted.
But Romania knew Netherlands, and he knew that he wasn't actually a stickler for paying attention. The doodles attested to that.
Slowly, he slipped his phone from his pocket, and texted Netherlands under the table.
We're at an hour and a half, he wrote. What do I win if this thing doesn't last more than two hours?
His smile broadened as he watched Netherlands dip his gaze below the table on his side, staring at his phone, obviously trying – and failing – to keep a straight expression.
I didn't know you were serious about that bet.
Who said anything about being serious? I'm never serious.
There was that smile again. Small, easy to miss. A tug at the corner of Netherlands' lips. Slight crinkling around the eyes.
OK was his reply. You can have anything you want.
Anything? Romania grinned as Netherlands' eyes widened at the realization of exactly what he'd offered.
In bed. Within reason.
At that moment, the volume in the room rose. Romania glanced toward the front.
England and France had stood up from their seats. Palms flat on the table, England leaned forward as he gave France a dressing-down. "If you think I'm going to sit here and listen to that, I -"
"My dear England, just because you don't understand my proposal doesn't mean you shouldn't pull your head out of -"
And through it all, Germany was sternly and loudly telling them both to sit down so he could bring the meeting to order.
Romania glanced back at Netherlands, letting a smirk flicker over his lips. Netherlands checked his watch, raising an eyebrow.
As if on cue, a coffee cup went flying, and the room exploded into chaos.
Romania and Netherlands slunk out of the room. Behind them came the sound of arguing, and the familiar shuffle of nations getting up and filtering out, trying to put as much space between themselves and that room as they could. It was time for a break.
Grinning, Romania gave Netherlands a nudge. "See? What'd I tell you?"
Netherlands snorted. "Fine, you were right. Looks like I owe you something, then."
"Whatever I want?"
"Almost."
"I'll think about it."
He took the rest of the day to give it some thought.
All through lunch, Romania turned over the possibilities in his head. Netherlands clearly hadn't been serious about their little joke, and Romania wasn't either, but considering all of the options available, thinking about what they might get up to together that evening was much better than anything else.
He kept thinking about it when the meeting resumed once again. The energy in the room was more relaxed, as if the earlier fuss had only been something that everyone needed to get out of their systems.
Still, it was obvious that nobody had their minds on business, least of all Romania. He was too busy trying to catch Netherlands' eye, and at one point sent him a snapshot of a mountain view, just for the satisfaction of seeing him flush bright red.
The whole thing dragged on through the afternoon, but finally they were able to leave.
"Something came up," Netherlands said once they could talk, standing in a quiet corner of the hotel's foyer away from the flow of foot traffic. "Got the message when we were in there. I won't be able to join you for supper."
Romania paused halfway through buttoning up his coat, hands stilling as he looked up at him. "Oh?"
Netherlands nodded. "Have some business to take care of. Actual business," he said, looking badly in need of a smoke. "Not like the bullshit we just finished. It isn't something that can wait."
"I see." Romania let out a long breath, then shrugged, trying to hide his disappointment as he finished putting his coat on. This wasn't at all how he'd hoped their evening would go, but Netherlands wasn't the kind of person to mess around or make excuses. If he said it couldn't wait, then it couldn't wait. "That's all right. We'll still have tomorrow, anyway. I'll see you later, then...?"
"Sure. You're still going out?"
Romania looked toward the front entrance. Through the glass doors, he could see the city lights bright in the evening darkness, sharp against the snow. "Yeah, I think I will." Some fresh air would clear his head, at least.
Netherlands rested a hand on his shoulder, then took off his scarf and wrapped it gently around Romania's neck. "Stay warm," he said, leaning in to brush a kiss against his cheek.
"I will."
It was a cold, clear night.
He ended up grabbing supper at a ramen bar, knowing that the more local cuisine was not to his taste. Scrolling through his phone in the warmth and noise of the restaurant, Romania tried not to think too much about how this wasn't what he'd planned.
Not that he and Netherlands had made plans, exactly. But it was one thing to go along with whatever idea presented itself when he was with Netherlands, and another thing to have their time together cut even shorter than expected.
Romania knew that he had other options. Looking through his contacts, he gave it some thought. Italy was usually good for some conversation and a drink or two. Bulgaria never seemed to mind spending time with him. Spain was always fun to talk with. But it wasn't the same.
As he turned off his phone, Romania caught sight of his reflection in the screen. He looked exhausted. After the morning he'd had, with its ridiculously early flight, that wasn't a surprise. And on top of that, there was this. At the moment, there was only one nation he wanted for company, and they were unavailable. Maybe, Romania decided, it would be better to take some quiet time to himself before going back to the hotel to rejoin Netherlands.
Despite the cold, he opted for a walk.
Even though the city was as busy as expected, there was a hushed note about it, as if the snow that had fallen earlier muffled everything it touched. A few stray flakes still drifted down lazily in the dark. Hands shoved in his pockets and Netherlands' scarf wrapped snug around his neck, Romania walked briskly, not caring where he went.
The sound of laughter caught his attention. Romania looked up. Two women stood in front of an art gallery, the light from inside spilling out to brighten their faces. One of them was fussing with the collar of the other's coat, adjusting it so it would sit properly. As he watched, the shorter of the two tilted her head and stole a kiss.
Romania swallowed and looked away, quickening his step. He ducked his face into the soft fabric of Netherlands' scarf and felt a tightness in his chest that had nothing to do with the cold.
Humans really didn't know how good they had it, Romania thought. For them, there was always the possibility of something more. But for nations, well....
Don't think about that, Romania told himself. At least for a few days, they were both in the same place. That had to be good enough.
The air had sharpened by the time he made it back to the hotel. It bit at his ears and pinched his cheeks, leaving them feeling flushed and raw.
Romania pressed the door of the hotel room shut and shook the snowflakes from his hair. The desk lamp was on, sending a warm glow through the dimly lit room. At the desk sat Netherlands, head dipped as he scribbled in a notebook.
"You're back." And instantly the book was flipped shut as Netherlands rose to go to him.
"Oh?" Romania laughed. "What, did you miss me?"
"I might have." A pause, then Netherlands cupped Romania's face as he bent to press a soft, light kiss to his lips. "You stayed out later than I thought you would."
"I see." Romania leaned against him, letting his eyes fall shut as he sank into the warmth of his arms. "I was out taking a walk, that's all. It's been a long day."
"Come on," Netherlands murmured near his ear, long fingers trailing down his back. "You should come in. Take all this off."
"What, you don't want to spend the rest of the night in the doorway?"
"No." Another kiss, this time to his temple. Then Netherlands drew away enough to start unbuttoning Romania's coat. "I can't say I do."
It only took a second to shuck off his warm clothing. Then he excused himself, slipping into the washroom to rinse off the grime from the day.
As he looked at himself in the washroom mirror, he noticed once again how exhausted he was. The day weighed on him more than it should have. Going to have to do something about that, Romania thought, and reached for a hair brush. He'd been looking forward to this, change of plans or not, and he wasn't going to let a little tiredness get in the way.
Netherlands' words from a moment ago came back to him. 'You should take all this off,' he'd said. Romania thought about that, then grinned. Sure, he'd been talking about the coat and boots, but it wouldn't hurt to follow through with the rest, too.
When he came back into the room, he found Netherlands at the table again. He'd given up his notebook in favour of the sketchbook he'd been doodling in before.
"Can I see?" Romania asked, draping himself over the bed. The fabric was soft against his bare skin.
Netherlands grunted and handed the sketchbook to him. "Suit yourself," he muttered, then did a double-take when he realized that Romania had stripped. He cleared his throat. "Looks like you're ready for bed."
Romania winked. "I thought I'd save you the trouble of waiting." He smiled as Netherlands' gaze slid over him, looking without any attempt to be subtle about it.
"You had the right idea."
Netherlands had never been shy about letting anyone take a look at his drawings, so Romania had no qualms about following through on the offer. Sprawled out on his front over the bedclothes, he flipped through the pages of the sketchbook while Netherlands took off his clothing.
In between various scribbled notes were drawings of nations who had been in Netherlands' line of sight during the meeting. Romania quickly noticed that there were more of himself than of anyone else, as if Netherlands' eyes kept getting drawn to him. They were more detailed, too, more attention paid to his clothing, the way his hair fell, the looks he'd given Netherlands across the table.
He turned the page, and froze at what he found next. Picked out neatly in ink was a landscape. One long, winding road snaked its way through a mountain pass. Romania sucked in a breath, feeling a deep flush creep over his cheeks. He knew those peaks. Drawn from memory, and imperfect because of that, but still. He'd know that place anywhere. "So," Romania said, glancing at Netherlands out of the corner of his eye. "I guess you don't plan on sharing this sketchbook with anybody else."
"No. I'm not."
He came over to the bed and dipped his head to press a kiss to Romania's hair. In return, Romania turned his head to catch his mouth, kissing him softly. As he withdrew, he flipped the book shut and handed it to Netherlands without a word.
In truth, he hadn't really needed that confirmation that it would stay private, but it felt good to hear it anyway. It didn't matter that a quick internet search could turn up thousands of photos of the Transfăgărășean; the fact that it had come from Netherlands' pen made all the difference.
He could still feel himself blushing. Not because of the drawing itself, Romania thought, but the intimacy of the moment. The bed sinking a bit as Netherlands sank down onto it. The warmth of his fingertips on Romania's skin, brushing along his shoulders, then down his spine, making him shiver. The touch of his lips against his neck.
"So," Netherlands said, his breath fluttering over Romania's ear. "Was there something you wanted to do tonight?"
"Uh. Maybe?" Romania closed his eyes. Tried to think. There were so many things he had wanted. He'd spent days thinking about this evening. But.... "It's been a long day."
Strong fingers gently stroked his hair. "You want to skip it?"
Romania laughed. "I wouldn't go that far." Not in the least. Not when he'd been aching for this for so long. "Just...." His breath caught as Netherlands' lips trailed over his shoulders, down his back. "Let's take it slow."
Slow was one of the many things Netherlands was good at, in the right time and the right place.
This wasn't like the rushed nights they'd shared after other meetings. It also wasn't like the warm summer evenings they'd spent at Romania's summer home in Maramureș, when they didn't think at all of taking their time, when they hardly even made it to the bedroom before they were on each other.
This was much different.
They nestled together on the mattress. Netherlands coiled his arms around Romania, pulling him close. Their noses bumped, and for a moment Netherlands seemed to hesitate, as if trying to decide what to do next.
Romania made the decision for him and closed the distance between them. He pressed against him, savouring the broadness of his body, how warm he was, the weight of his arm slung over him, large palm trailing slowly down his spine.
The kiss was long and deep. He clung to him a little too tightly, fingernails sinking into Netherlands' shoulders. Netherlands huffed, breaking the kiss, sucking at Romania's lower lip for a moment before nosing at his cheek. "You all right?" he muttered, his voice low.
"Yeah." As if to prove it, Romania pressed closer. "Why?"
"You were still gone when I came back." A pause, silent as he brushed a kiss to his neck, as if he were trying to find the right way to phrase it. "I was a little worried."
For a moment, Romania thought about his walk out in the snow, and all the things that had been running through his head. The fact that they were who they were. The unchangeable distance between them. The fact that, aside from nights like this, they had hardly any time together. It wasn't fair.
Romania took a long breath. "I had some things I needed to think about. It's fine now."
Netherlands took the hint. "Right," he said, letting his hand slide low, lower, until it settled on the curve of Romania's ass. "…I think I can get your mind on something better than that."
"Okay," Romania said, but what he really meant was yes, and whether Netherlands understood that or not, the kiss that followed put an end to anything else he might have said.
The kiss was firm, warm tongue sweeping over Romania's lips to make him gasp. He opened his mouth for him and let him deepen it. Everything about Netherlands at that moment was slow and thorough, from the way he kissed him to the way his hand slid up his back then down again, then over his hip, long fingers trailing, as all of it was meant to be comforting.
Romania knew that it probably was. In any case, it was soothing, and he found himself pressing up against Netherlands, sighing as he clung to him and sank his fingers into his hair.
Down below, he could feel his cock respond to the warmth of his hands and the press of his body. He kissed him, sucked gently at his tongue as he gave in and let himself grind against him. Shameless, sure, but it wasn't as if Netherlands wasn't exactly the same. Romania could feel his cock pressing against him hard and heavy. Any other night he would want that inside of him, but for now....
He eased his hand downward, slipping it between the two of them. As he coiled his fingers around Netherlands, he felt more than heard him gasp.
Romania grinned and broke the kiss with a gentle bite. Another gasp, followed by his hips jerking in time with the movements of Romania's hand, and a long, slow breath as Netherlands moved to touch him.
"Here, I'll -"
Romania's breath shook as that hand curled around his cock. For a moment, he rocked into it, saying nothing, listening only to the sound of Netherlands' gasps, sharp and heavy as he moved in time with his movements.
They pressed as close as it was possible to do with their hands between them.
Romania panted as he rocked his hips, thrusting against the tight heat of Netherlands' grip on him. He buried his face against his shoulder, oblivious to everything but the sensation of that familiar hand, the sound of Netherlands' heavy breathing, and the movement of skin against skin as they jerked each other off. Even though it was hardly the kinkiest thing they'd ever done, there was a closeness about it that made Romania catch his breath.
He thought of that drawing in Netherlands' notebook. Mountains and that one long, winding road. Had Netherlands been carrying him in his thoughts the whole time, ever since those weeks that they'd spent out in the countryside the previous year? There was more intimacy in those penstrokes than there could ever be in a photograph of his physical body.
Netherlands murmured something too low and breathless to make out. Romania lifted his head, caught his lips in a kiss, and didn't pull away, didn't stop until they swallowed each other's moans, swift strokes finishing them off.
They rested there for a while. Romania nuzzled against Netherlands' neck, clinging to him, staying close. Neither of them wanted to move. It wasn't until after they'd cleaned up that anybody said anything.
"When do you think we can see each other after this?" Romania asked, sitting on the edge of the bed as he ran his fingers through his hair, damp from the shower. "I mean, after this meeting."
Netherlands grunted and reached to the bedside table for his phone. "Looks like the next one is... March. At England's place."
"Nothing earlier?"
"No. Nothing official, at least."
Even though he wasn't looking in his direction, Romania could feel Netherlands watching him. He turned to look at him, meeting his eyes. "How about unofficial, then?"
A pause as Netherlands' gaze flitted from him to the screen again. Calculating time. Weighing his options. There was something serious in his look, like this wasn't something to take lightly. "I'm full up for this month. But next...."
"You have time?"
"I'll make time."
Romania slid into bed next to him, curling up against Netherlands' body. The promise was enough – he knew that Netherlands usually kept his word when he gave it; that he never promised anything unless he could make good on it.
He also never promised anything unless there was something in it for him.
The next morning, Romania woke before their alarms went off.
It was early. He glanced at the clock on the bedside table, groaned, then curled up closer to Netherlands. Pressed his face against his shoulder. He could feel him shift and sigh, and hoped he hadn't woken him up.
Too late. "What time is it?" Netherlands muttered sleepily, hand moving to cover Romania's.
"Go back to sleep," Romania whispered. "We don't have to get up yet." He closed his eyes tight and listened as Netherlands took in a long, slow breath.
"Maybe we don't have to get up at all."
"What, and skip the meeting?"
Netherlands snorted. "Sure."
Romania would have liked nothing better than to roll over, turn their alarms off, and then spend the rest of the morning curled up next to Netherlands. It was a very, very tempting offer. An unusual one.
Was this about spending more time with him? They had talked it over last night. Set down some dates. Decided that they'd have to make seeing each other a priority, at least as much as they could, if they were going to get what they both wanted out of it.
But. Well.
"Nah," Romania said. He brushed a kiss to Netherlands' neck, letting his breath flutter over his skin. "Let's go. It might be different today."
"Probably not," Netherlands muttered.
"Probably not," Romania agreed. He thought about it for a moment. "We could always leave early."
A huff. "We could. Not like we'd miss anything important."
"And then I'll have you all to myself."
Netherlands' fingers knit with his. He said nothing; only gave a soft hum of approval, like he couldn't think of anything that would be better than that.
They rested together in the dark morning, falling quiet, savouring every second before they would have to leave each other's arms.
They might have to be apart, but for now, they could make the best of it.
Fandom: Hetalia
Characters/Pairing: Netherlands/Romania
Rating: 18+
Length: 5k
Summary: Keeping a relationship going when you're far apart can be difficult. But for Romania and Netherlands, it's worth the trouble.
Other: Written for Char as part of the Fandom Trumps Hate charity auction. Thanks a bunch!
Contour Lines
The one good thing about world meetings was that they were an excuse to go out, get around, visit places you normally wouldn't, and see nations that you usually didn't. Nothing ever really got accomplished at these get-togethers, and that suited most nations fine.
One of the many downsides was that sometimes they took place at less-than-ideal times of year.
Romania blew on his hands once again, and wished that he'd packed gloves. Or mittens. Nice, toasty, thick wool ones. In his haste to get out the door in the early hours of the morning, he hadn't thought to bring them. The cold was bad enough, but the sea air made it bite, nipping at his hands and slipping beneath the collar of his coat. He’d barely been in Helsinki two hours, and he was already looking forward to leaving.
Where snow had fallen undisturbed, it sat piled high and fluffy, brightening up a dark city made darker by the winter night hanging over the morning. It left a thick coating on roofs and window sills, and draped over the gleaming white cathedral, dusting its domed roof like powdered sugar.
On the sidewalks, foot traffic had churned the snow to mud and then tramped it down flat. Romania glanced upward, wondering if the sharpness he scented in the air meant the sky was going to dump another load of it.
A few flakes fell as he made his way through the streets. Romania picked up the pace a little in the face of that. Soon, he turned the corner and saw the cafe he'd been looking for – the person he’d been aching to see.
Netherlands had arrived the previous evening. There he was, standing a little farther off, looking much too alert for this kind of morning, smoking a cigarette as he waited without any care for the cold, towering over everyone else that passed by.
He lifted his head at the sound of Romania approaching, and a hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "Took you long enough," Netherlands said.
"At least I'm here," Romania said, flashing him a smile. "Come on, let's get inside. I'm freezing."
The cold wasn't the only reason that Romania wanted to get indoors. It wasn't hard to admit that – and he had a feeling that he wasn't alone.
When the two of them were settled at their table together, with some decent pastry and truly horrible coffee, he watched as Netherlands unwound the long scarf from around his neck, letting his gaze trail with the line of his movement. It was a bit indulgent to stare like that, but after the morning he'd had, a little indulgence wouldn't hurt. Romania rested his chin on one hand, took a long sip of coffee, and let himself keep looking.
"Like what you see?"
Words he'd heard a million times, and in a million contexts, and they never failed to make him grin. "I might," Romania said, nudging at Netherlands' foot under the table. "It's been a while since I've had the chance to enjoy the view, you know?"
This wasn't entirely true, and they both knew it. For months, they'd been sending each other photographs back and forth. Oh, it had started innocently enough, with a picture of a sunny morning in the city and a mention that some company would be nice – but that picture led to others. Deep, dark forests to get lost in. Never-ending fields of pristine flowers waiting to be picked. Winding alpine roads. Long canals sparkling in sunlight. Rugged mountains sharp against the sky.
That last one had resulted in a phone call, and the two of them spent way more time than they should have deep in conversation – if you could call it conversation. Deep in something, at least.
But pictures and phone calls couldn't compare to the real thing. Now they were going to have a few days together, and they were going to savour it. But....
"Are you sure you're fine with sharing a room?" Romania asked, nudging at Netherlands' foot again.
Netherlands' brows lifted. "Cheaper that way," he said, giving a little shrug.
"That's not what I meant, exactly."
"You always end up in mine anyway. We're just making it simpler."
That was true enough. But Romania did know that while Netherlands enjoyed his company, he also liked having some space. Still – if he wasn't bothered by it, Romania wasn't going to let it bother him either.
They hadn't seen each other in months, and so many things that he wanted to say kept turning over in Romania's mind. But given that they were in public, and very soon they would be stuck in a world meeting and tasked with the job of at least pretending to have their minds on it – maybe it was best to keep his thoughts to himself for the moment, even if Netherlands probably had an idea of what he was thinking.
So, he settled for, "It's good to see you," and hoped that got the message across.
By the twitch of a smile at the corner of Netherlands' lips, he could guess that it did.
Their breakfast together was much too short. In no time, they were back in the cold again. Romania shivered, ducking his face into the collar of his coat against the freezing air.
"Wait," Netherlands said, stopping.
Romania looked up, ready to tell him that this had better be good, because he didn’t want to spend one more second than necessary outside. He held back the comment when he realized that Netherlands was unwinding the scarf from around his neck. "You’re sure?" he asked as Netherlands draped it over him.
Netherlands grunted. "It's cold," he muttered.
He said it as if that explained everything, but Romania knew that Netherlands didn't like this kind of weather much better than he did. "Thanks," he said as he tightened it around his neck, deciding not to argue. With Netherlands, it was best to just be grateful. "Come on, let's get going."
They walked side by side, Romania stepping briskly to keep up with Netherlands' long strides.
"How long d'you bet this one will take before someone throws something at somebody?" Netherlands asked.
Romania laughed. "I'll give it two hours, max."
That was how long it had taken for the last meeting to dissolve into chaos, and nobody was even remotely surprised.
But until then, they'd have to at least try to take it seriously.
Taking things seriously wasn't easy. At all.
Given the option between paying attention while Germany droned on, and doing anything else, Romania decided that people-watching was much more interesting than whatever it was that Germany was talking about. He let his gaze slide around the room, lingering on each nation for a moment.
England was sitting with his arms folded over his chest, glaring at France, as if they'd had some kind of argument earlier. If anybody was likely to throw anything today, Romania thought, it would be one of those two.
Australia looked as if he was about to doze off. Next to him sat Austria, glancing at him out of the corner of his eye, as if suspicious that at any moment Australia might fall asleep on him.
Romania held back a snort, and after sweeping his gaze over the rest, finally let himself look over toward Netherlands.
Now, there was someone who looked as if he was paying attention. Glancing toward the front of the room for a moment, expression serious, apparently taking it all in – and then scribbling something down in his notebook.
Taking notes? Really? He made a good show of it, but Romania knew better. That notebook was full of ballpoint pen sketches; he'd put money on that.
Resting his head against one hand, he watched him draw. Took in the familiar way his brows knitted in concentration, the smooth strokes of his pen across the page. If only all of this could be over, Romania thought, and they could go do something else. Something more fun.
His thoughts went to the room they'd be sharing that night. Usually, toward the end of an evening out, there would be the awkward pause as they discussed whose room to go to for a bit of privacy. And when that was all over, there was always more awkwardness, the question of whether to stay or go lingering unsaid until one of them asked outright, or invited the other to stay. This time, though, there would be none of that. They would go up together, and spend the night together, and wake up together. The fact that they had bothered to plan it out this time made it feel so final, so deliberate, that it made him anticipate it more than usual.
But at the moment, Romania decided, he'd settle for doing anything and being anywhere other than where he currently was. Hell, he'd even settle for a walk out in the freezing cold, as long as he had Netherlands for company.
Finally, Netherlands seemed to sense that he was being watched. His gaze lifted from the notebook and flicked straight over to Romania.
Romania let a smirk play over his lips, and got a small smile in return, little more than a quirk of the mouth. That was all, and Netherlands broke eye contact again, as if not wanting to be seen distracted.
But Romania knew Netherlands, and he knew that he wasn't actually a stickler for paying attention. The doodles attested to that.
Slowly, he slipped his phone from his pocket, and texted Netherlands under the table.
We're at an hour and a half, he wrote. What do I win if this thing doesn't last more than two hours?
His smile broadened as he watched Netherlands dip his gaze below the table on his side, staring at his phone, obviously trying – and failing – to keep a straight expression.
I didn't know you were serious about that bet.
Who said anything about being serious? I'm never serious.
There was that smile again. Small, easy to miss. A tug at the corner of Netherlands' lips. Slight crinkling around the eyes.
OK was his reply. You can have anything you want.
Anything? Romania grinned as Netherlands' eyes widened at the realization of exactly what he'd offered.
In bed. Within reason.
At that moment, the volume in the room rose. Romania glanced toward the front.
England and France had stood up from their seats. Palms flat on the table, England leaned forward as he gave France a dressing-down. "If you think I'm going to sit here and listen to that, I -"
"My dear England, just because you don't understand my proposal doesn't mean you shouldn't pull your head out of -"
And through it all, Germany was sternly and loudly telling them both to sit down so he could bring the meeting to order.
Romania glanced back at Netherlands, letting a smirk flicker over his lips. Netherlands checked his watch, raising an eyebrow.
As if on cue, a coffee cup went flying, and the room exploded into chaos.
Romania and Netherlands slunk out of the room. Behind them came the sound of arguing, and the familiar shuffle of nations getting up and filtering out, trying to put as much space between themselves and that room as they could. It was time for a break.
Grinning, Romania gave Netherlands a nudge. "See? What'd I tell you?"
Netherlands snorted. "Fine, you were right. Looks like I owe you something, then."
"Whatever I want?"
"Almost."
"I'll think about it."
He took the rest of the day to give it some thought.
All through lunch, Romania turned over the possibilities in his head. Netherlands clearly hadn't been serious about their little joke, and Romania wasn't either, but considering all of the options available, thinking about what they might get up to together that evening was much better than anything else.
He kept thinking about it when the meeting resumed once again. The energy in the room was more relaxed, as if the earlier fuss had only been something that everyone needed to get out of their systems.
Still, it was obvious that nobody had their minds on business, least of all Romania. He was too busy trying to catch Netherlands' eye, and at one point sent him a snapshot of a mountain view, just for the satisfaction of seeing him flush bright red.
The whole thing dragged on through the afternoon, but finally they were able to leave.
"Something came up," Netherlands said once they could talk, standing in a quiet corner of the hotel's foyer away from the flow of foot traffic. "Got the message when we were in there. I won't be able to join you for supper."
Romania paused halfway through buttoning up his coat, hands stilling as he looked up at him. "Oh?"
Netherlands nodded. "Have some business to take care of. Actual business," he said, looking badly in need of a smoke. "Not like the bullshit we just finished. It isn't something that can wait."
"I see." Romania let out a long breath, then shrugged, trying to hide his disappointment as he finished putting his coat on. This wasn't at all how he'd hoped their evening would go, but Netherlands wasn't the kind of person to mess around or make excuses. If he said it couldn't wait, then it couldn't wait. "That's all right. We'll still have tomorrow, anyway. I'll see you later, then...?"
"Sure. You're still going out?"
Romania looked toward the front entrance. Through the glass doors, he could see the city lights bright in the evening darkness, sharp against the snow. "Yeah, I think I will." Some fresh air would clear his head, at least.
Netherlands rested a hand on his shoulder, then took off his scarf and wrapped it gently around Romania's neck. "Stay warm," he said, leaning in to brush a kiss against his cheek.
"I will."
It was a cold, clear night.
He ended up grabbing supper at a ramen bar, knowing that the more local cuisine was not to his taste. Scrolling through his phone in the warmth and noise of the restaurant, Romania tried not to think too much about how this wasn't what he'd planned.
Not that he and Netherlands had made plans, exactly. But it was one thing to go along with whatever idea presented itself when he was with Netherlands, and another thing to have their time together cut even shorter than expected.
Romania knew that he had other options. Looking through his contacts, he gave it some thought. Italy was usually good for some conversation and a drink or two. Bulgaria never seemed to mind spending time with him. Spain was always fun to talk with. But it wasn't the same.
As he turned off his phone, Romania caught sight of his reflection in the screen. He looked exhausted. After the morning he'd had, with its ridiculously early flight, that wasn't a surprise. And on top of that, there was this. At the moment, there was only one nation he wanted for company, and they were unavailable. Maybe, Romania decided, it would be better to take some quiet time to himself before going back to the hotel to rejoin Netherlands.
Despite the cold, he opted for a walk.
Even though the city was as busy as expected, there was a hushed note about it, as if the snow that had fallen earlier muffled everything it touched. A few stray flakes still drifted down lazily in the dark. Hands shoved in his pockets and Netherlands' scarf wrapped snug around his neck, Romania walked briskly, not caring where he went.
The sound of laughter caught his attention. Romania looked up. Two women stood in front of an art gallery, the light from inside spilling out to brighten their faces. One of them was fussing with the collar of the other's coat, adjusting it so it would sit properly. As he watched, the shorter of the two tilted her head and stole a kiss.
Romania swallowed and looked away, quickening his step. He ducked his face into the soft fabric of Netherlands' scarf and felt a tightness in his chest that had nothing to do with the cold.
Humans really didn't know how good they had it, Romania thought. For them, there was always the possibility of something more. But for nations, well....
Don't think about that, Romania told himself. At least for a few days, they were both in the same place. That had to be good enough.
The air had sharpened by the time he made it back to the hotel. It bit at his ears and pinched his cheeks, leaving them feeling flushed and raw.
Romania pressed the door of the hotel room shut and shook the snowflakes from his hair. The desk lamp was on, sending a warm glow through the dimly lit room. At the desk sat Netherlands, head dipped as he scribbled in a notebook.
"You're back." And instantly the book was flipped shut as Netherlands rose to go to him.
"Oh?" Romania laughed. "What, did you miss me?"
"I might have." A pause, then Netherlands cupped Romania's face as he bent to press a soft, light kiss to his lips. "You stayed out later than I thought you would."
"I see." Romania leaned against him, letting his eyes fall shut as he sank into the warmth of his arms. "I was out taking a walk, that's all. It's been a long day."
"Come on," Netherlands murmured near his ear, long fingers trailing down his back. "You should come in. Take all this off."
"What, you don't want to spend the rest of the night in the doorway?"
"No." Another kiss, this time to his temple. Then Netherlands drew away enough to start unbuttoning Romania's coat. "I can't say I do."
It only took a second to shuck off his warm clothing. Then he excused himself, slipping into the washroom to rinse off the grime from the day.
As he looked at himself in the washroom mirror, he noticed once again how exhausted he was. The day weighed on him more than it should have. Going to have to do something about that, Romania thought, and reached for a hair brush. He'd been looking forward to this, change of plans or not, and he wasn't going to let a little tiredness get in the way.
Netherlands' words from a moment ago came back to him. 'You should take all this off,' he'd said. Romania thought about that, then grinned. Sure, he'd been talking about the coat and boots, but it wouldn't hurt to follow through with the rest, too.
When he came back into the room, he found Netherlands at the table again. He'd given up his notebook in favour of the sketchbook he'd been doodling in before.
"Can I see?" Romania asked, draping himself over the bed. The fabric was soft against his bare skin.
Netherlands grunted and handed the sketchbook to him. "Suit yourself," he muttered, then did a double-take when he realized that Romania had stripped. He cleared his throat. "Looks like you're ready for bed."
Romania winked. "I thought I'd save you the trouble of waiting." He smiled as Netherlands' gaze slid over him, looking without any attempt to be subtle about it.
"You had the right idea."
Netherlands had never been shy about letting anyone take a look at his drawings, so Romania had no qualms about following through on the offer. Sprawled out on his front over the bedclothes, he flipped through the pages of the sketchbook while Netherlands took off his clothing.
In between various scribbled notes were drawings of nations who had been in Netherlands' line of sight during the meeting. Romania quickly noticed that there were more of himself than of anyone else, as if Netherlands' eyes kept getting drawn to him. They were more detailed, too, more attention paid to his clothing, the way his hair fell, the looks he'd given Netherlands across the table.
He turned the page, and froze at what he found next. Picked out neatly in ink was a landscape. One long, winding road snaked its way through a mountain pass. Romania sucked in a breath, feeling a deep flush creep over his cheeks. He knew those peaks. Drawn from memory, and imperfect because of that, but still. He'd know that place anywhere. "So," Romania said, glancing at Netherlands out of the corner of his eye. "I guess you don't plan on sharing this sketchbook with anybody else."
"No. I'm not."
He came over to the bed and dipped his head to press a kiss to Romania's hair. In return, Romania turned his head to catch his mouth, kissing him softly. As he withdrew, he flipped the book shut and handed it to Netherlands without a word.
In truth, he hadn't really needed that confirmation that it would stay private, but it felt good to hear it anyway. It didn't matter that a quick internet search could turn up thousands of photos of the Transfăgărășean; the fact that it had come from Netherlands' pen made all the difference.
He could still feel himself blushing. Not because of the drawing itself, Romania thought, but the intimacy of the moment. The bed sinking a bit as Netherlands sank down onto it. The warmth of his fingertips on Romania's skin, brushing along his shoulders, then down his spine, making him shiver. The touch of his lips against his neck.
"So," Netherlands said, his breath fluttering over Romania's ear. "Was there something you wanted to do tonight?"
"Uh. Maybe?" Romania closed his eyes. Tried to think. There were so many things he had wanted. He'd spent days thinking about this evening. But.... "It's been a long day."
Strong fingers gently stroked his hair. "You want to skip it?"
Romania laughed. "I wouldn't go that far." Not in the least. Not when he'd been aching for this for so long. "Just...." His breath caught as Netherlands' lips trailed over his shoulders, down his back. "Let's take it slow."
Slow was one of the many things Netherlands was good at, in the right time and the right place.
This wasn't like the rushed nights they'd shared after other meetings. It also wasn't like the warm summer evenings they'd spent at Romania's summer home in Maramureș, when they didn't think at all of taking their time, when they hardly even made it to the bedroom before they were on each other.
This was much different.
They nestled together on the mattress. Netherlands coiled his arms around Romania, pulling him close. Their noses bumped, and for a moment Netherlands seemed to hesitate, as if trying to decide what to do next.
Romania made the decision for him and closed the distance between them. He pressed against him, savouring the broadness of his body, how warm he was, the weight of his arm slung over him, large palm trailing slowly down his spine.
The kiss was long and deep. He clung to him a little too tightly, fingernails sinking into Netherlands' shoulders. Netherlands huffed, breaking the kiss, sucking at Romania's lower lip for a moment before nosing at his cheek. "You all right?" he muttered, his voice low.
"Yeah." As if to prove it, Romania pressed closer. "Why?"
"You were still gone when I came back." A pause, silent as he brushed a kiss to his neck, as if he were trying to find the right way to phrase it. "I was a little worried."
For a moment, Romania thought about his walk out in the snow, and all the things that had been running through his head. The fact that they were who they were. The unchangeable distance between them. The fact that, aside from nights like this, they had hardly any time together. It wasn't fair.
Romania took a long breath. "I had some things I needed to think about. It's fine now."
Netherlands took the hint. "Right," he said, letting his hand slide low, lower, until it settled on the curve of Romania's ass. "…I think I can get your mind on something better than that."
"Okay," Romania said, but what he really meant was yes, and whether Netherlands understood that or not, the kiss that followed put an end to anything else he might have said.
The kiss was firm, warm tongue sweeping over Romania's lips to make him gasp. He opened his mouth for him and let him deepen it. Everything about Netherlands at that moment was slow and thorough, from the way he kissed him to the way his hand slid up his back then down again, then over his hip, long fingers trailing, as all of it was meant to be comforting.
Romania knew that it probably was. In any case, it was soothing, and he found himself pressing up against Netherlands, sighing as he clung to him and sank his fingers into his hair.
Down below, he could feel his cock respond to the warmth of his hands and the press of his body. He kissed him, sucked gently at his tongue as he gave in and let himself grind against him. Shameless, sure, but it wasn't as if Netherlands wasn't exactly the same. Romania could feel his cock pressing against him hard and heavy. Any other night he would want that inside of him, but for now....
He eased his hand downward, slipping it between the two of them. As he coiled his fingers around Netherlands, he felt more than heard him gasp.
Romania grinned and broke the kiss with a gentle bite. Another gasp, followed by his hips jerking in time with the movements of Romania's hand, and a long, slow breath as Netherlands moved to touch him.
"Here, I'll -"
Romania's breath shook as that hand curled around his cock. For a moment, he rocked into it, saying nothing, listening only to the sound of Netherlands' gasps, sharp and heavy as he moved in time with his movements.
They pressed as close as it was possible to do with their hands between them.
Romania panted as he rocked his hips, thrusting against the tight heat of Netherlands' grip on him. He buried his face against his shoulder, oblivious to everything but the sensation of that familiar hand, the sound of Netherlands' heavy breathing, and the movement of skin against skin as they jerked each other off. Even though it was hardly the kinkiest thing they'd ever done, there was a closeness about it that made Romania catch his breath.
He thought of that drawing in Netherlands' notebook. Mountains and that one long, winding road. Had Netherlands been carrying him in his thoughts the whole time, ever since those weeks that they'd spent out in the countryside the previous year? There was more intimacy in those penstrokes than there could ever be in a photograph of his physical body.
Netherlands murmured something too low and breathless to make out. Romania lifted his head, caught his lips in a kiss, and didn't pull away, didn't stop until they swallowed each other's moans, swift strokes finishing them off.
They rested there for a while. Romania nuzzled against Netherlands' neck, clinging to him, staying close. Neither of them wanted to move. It wasn't until after they'd cleaned up that anybody said anything.
"When do you think we can see each other after this?" Romania asked, sitting on the edge of the bed as he ran his fingers through his hair, damp from the shower. "I mean, after this meeting."
Netherlands grunted and reached to the bedside table for his phone. "Looks like the next one is... March. At England's place."
"Nothing earlier?"
"No. Nothing official, at least."
Even though he wasn't looking in his direction, Romania could feel Netherlands watching him. He turned to look at him, meeting his eyes. "How about unofficial, then?"
A pause as Netherlands' gaze flitted from him to the screen again. Calculating time. Weighing his options. There was something serious in his look, like this wasn't something to take lightly. "I'm full up for this month. But next...."
"You have time?"
"I'll make time."
Romania slid into bed next to him, curling up against Netherlands' body. The promise was enough – he knew that Netherlands usually kept his word when he gave it; that he never promised anything unless he could make good on it.
He also never promised anything unless there was something in it for him.
The next morning, Romania woke before their alarms went off.
It was early. He glanced at the clock on the bedside table, groaned, then curled up closer to Netherlands. Pressed his face against his shoulder. He could feel him shift and sigh, and hoped he hadn't woken him up.
Too late. "What time is it?" Netherlands muttered sleepily, hand moving to cover Romania's.
"Go back to sleep," Romania whispered. "We don't have to get up yet." He closed his eyes tight and listened as Netherlands took in a long, slow breath.
"Maybe we don't have to get up at all."
"What, and skip the meeting?"
Netherlands snorted. "Sure."
Romania would have liked nothing better than to roll over, turn their alarms off, and then spend the rest of the morning curled up next to Netherlands. It was a very, very tempting offer. An unusual one.
Was this about spending more time with him? They had talked it over last night. Set down some dates. Decided that they'd have to make seeing each other a priority, at least as much as they could, if they were going to get what they both wanted out of it.
But. Well.
"Nah," Romania said. He brushed a kiss to Netherlands' neck, letting his breath flutter over his skin. "Let's go. It might be different today."
"Probably not," Netherlands muttered.
"Probably not," Romania agreed. He thought about it for a moment. "We could always leave early."
A huff. "We could. Not like we'd miss anything important."
"And then I'll have you all to myself."
Netherlands' fingers knit with his. He said nothing; only gave a soft hum of approval, like he couldn't think of anything that would be better than that.
They rested together in the dark morning, falling quiet, savouring every second before they would have to leave each other's arms.
They might have to be apart, but for now, they could make the best of it.