oblivious to the nation on his doorstep, though he'd recognised someone crossing Norway's border earlier. He's forgotten it now, however, sighing quietly as he looks at the calm fire in the living room.

stands outside for a while before deciding the other wasn't going to come out and conveniently bump into him so he wouldn't have to knock. And it was getting cold. He sighs before knocking.

hadn't really had a great wanderlust for the outdoors as of late, unusual enough for how the winter season was normally welcomed by him. He turns his head and quirks a brow slightly at the sound on his door, _

figuring it had to be someone else than the Dane by the common manners used. It couldn't be a kid asking for candy, either, he ponders as he walks to the entrance; he would've heard their laughter. He freezes _

when he opens the door, simply staring for a long moment. He blinks a few times and speaks up quietly, ".. Hei."

blinks back at him before fidgeting and looking away. "Let me in, it's cold outside." He wasn't about to admit it but it was good to see him again...

to bring up a hand to cover the slightest smile breaking his passive expression, making up for it with a small cough. He drops his hand and nods, stepping aside. "Go ahead."

would have felt even more awkward if he had seen him smile. He steps inside and looks around. "Do you have any food?" Not that he was hungry, it was more like he was asking because he was worried about Norge...

therefore had several reasons to hide it, even if it hadn't been comparable to what a normal person considered a smile. He lingers by the door, forcing himself not to stare as he closes it. "Yea--" He pauses, _

".. I think so, ja." He's actually unsure now, come to think of it.

rolls his eyes and walks to his pantry, sifting through the contents. "Hmph, you need to take better care of yourself, I shouldn't have to come over every time Dan worries about you..." He had been looking for-

Norge a long time but never seemed to find him until the day Soren bugged him.

shakes his head and follows after him, keeping more than a decent distance. "I do take care of myself.. there's bound to be somethin' left from Christmas..." He mutters distractedly, tilting his head slightly _

to glance into the pantry. He squares his shoulders and puts his hands in his pockets. "So that's why you decided to show a sign of life after several months?" After half a year of not hearing from him, he'd _

grown increasingly worried. ".. How'd he get hold of you, anyway?"

"Christmas was a week ago, you need to have more food than that." He was normally the one who had to get nagged into keeping food around and thought this change was very unusual. He freezes when he hears Norge-

and sighs, scratching the back of his head. "I was busy and.... I tried looking for you but you were never around. I mean, I tried hard enough that I even went to look for the idiot, but he was gone too." He-

pouts faintly. "I don't know what happened, just on Christmas... I got a voice mail from him and told me to send a letter."

felt a little weirded out being scolded on a topic where it was usually the other way around. "You know I make a lot for Christmas.." Not that he'd cared so much for it this year, having been busy trying to _

locate the younger. The corner of his mouth twitches slightly to a faint grimace at the explanation, though he nods. "Well, as long as there really is life in you I s'pose I can't complain.. A case of ill _

fates, it seems." His tone changes to a mildly teasing one, "You did write it, though."

blushes and hides his face behind a hand, his other hand giving a thumbs down. "You know how annoying the idiot can be, I didn't want him bothering me over the holidays." He really was happy to see the other...

to hold in a chuckle, seeing his thumb point down as expected. He manages to keep a straight face. "Understandable.. Though you know he normally puts up those Christmas parties... It's not so bad, bein' _

all of us gathered once a year." He mutters airily, leaning against a wall. "Not as bad as you'd expect, anyhow.."

sighs. "I didn't even know where all of you were, how was I supposed to know there would be a Christmas party?" He starts foraging through the cupboards looking for Christmas cookies...

had at least made those, seeing as there hadn't been a lack of any important ingredients this Christmas. "It's generally every year... Mid shelf, third cupboard."

worried that the other wasn't well enough to make even those, what with how Soren was acting. "Tch, I know that, I just didn't know where everyone was. I even went to his house that day..."

had had his ups and downs earlier.. Well, mostly downs but that was more than the Icelander had to know. ".. To be fair, I wasn't sure either."

pulls out the cookies and starts nibbling at them. "So how was the party?"

hesitates before shaking his head. "I wasn't there either.."

...stares at him. "You didn't go? The idiot didn't drag you there, either?"

casts his eyes down, remembering the encounter with the Dane. "He tried.. I didn't want to. I don't think he was happy with it."

frowns faintly and offers him a cookie. "I'm sure he's already forgotten about it. I don't think he is capable of remembering things that happened yesterday, let alone a week ago."

holds a hand up to silently decline the offer. "You'd be surprised... The party this year, though, would be full of strangers from what I gathered.. Not very appealin'."

eats the cookie for him. "Strangers? I thought it was always supposed to be a family thing?"

crosses the room to stand in front of the coffee maker. He opens a cupboard and takes out a mug, leaving it open in case he wanted coffee too while he starts preparing. "Dan has found some sort of additional _

family.."

finishes the cookie and rummages through the fridge to see if he had any Coke... "Tch, he's an idiot... If he has other family now it just means he'll bug us less, right?"

doesn't have Coke, since it had been a good while since he'd had need of having it in store. The closest he has is Solo, an orange soda. "Seems so."

makes a face at the soda and settles for a glass of milk to eat his cookies with instead. He pours the milk before returning to his place next to the cookies. "...So have you found an additional family...?"

huffs in half-hearted amusement. "Are you mad? This one's well enough."

looks away from him, sipping some milk before answering. "Just wondering if that's why you guys left me..."

falls silent for a long moment, jaw clenched. He snaps out of it and closes the cupboard, moving the container of the coffee maker to the counter surface. ".. I don't know 'bout the Dane, but I've been lookin'

for you since I returned from that business trip last Spring. I told you 'bout that, didn't I?"

sighs and sets his glass down. "Yes, you told me about that." He looks over at him before quickly looking away again. He might have entertained the idea that his brother had abandoned him forever...

pours himself a mug and puts the container back in place. He'd never let Ari escape his life if he could help it, he meant too much to him. Losing him once had been hard enough. ".. Amazin' how 'round each _

other we've been walkin' this year, then."

might have also considered that the other had left him like that time.... "It doesn't matter now." He nibbles at another cookie to try and distract himself from getting emotional.

had never voluntarily left him.. or any of the others he'd been responsible for in the past. He thought his little brother knew that. He turns around and leans against the counter, lifting the mug to his lips._

"S'pose it doesn't.."

hadn't entirely gotten past that and still blamed his brother at least a little bit. He eats another cookie in silence, not knowing what to say or do.

takes a few long sips of the drink, enjoying the warmth. "You stayin' here for New Years?"

sputters, nearly choking on his cookie. "H-here? At your house?"

eyes him warily for a moment, wondering why the simple suggestion had caused such a reaction. He shrugs and looks away, "Well, I didn't mean the backyard.. It was merely a question."

tries to compose himself and looks away, blushing faintly. "I guess... I don't have any other plans..." He thought the offer was rather sudden and unexpected but he liked the idea...

nods slightly, though he's far happier with the answer than he shows. "I'll.. ready the guest room later on, then."

wanted to spend as much time as possible with him to make sure he didn't run away or disappear again. "Hm, okay. I'll get some stuff from my house."

had not been running anywhere, though it was little use in trying to convince the other of so when he'd not seen him. "It's barely a night, two at the most I guess.. but sure." He'd have to buy more food..

glances over at him, brow furrowing a little. "Only that long?" He was thinking about staying longer than that but he guesses a day or two was probably more usual...

finishes his coffee and puts the mug down, hiding his surprise easily. "New Years is tomorrow night, though I'll not stop you from stayin' longer."

turns red and puts away the cookies. "No, I'll just stay the night, I don't want to impose..."

rests his fingertips on the container which still holds a quarter coffee. He huffs quietly in grim amusement and mutters, "After so long, you'd be lucky if a week was imposin'.. Suit yourself."

..."We

'll see then." He finishes his milk and sets down the glass before heading to the door.

hesitates for a moment, uncomfortable seeing him leave even if he knows he'll come back shortly. He sighs and follows after, finding his jacket. "I'll follow you out. I've got to buy dinner."

turns back to look at him. "...I won't get lost between my house and yours."

| "I know that." He puts on his jacket and glances at him. "You still want food for your stay, don't you..?"

"I'd prefer you not starve, really. It's been hard enough finding you..." He shoves his hands in his coat pockets and starts out the door.

shrugs as he steps into his shoes. "Two crows with one stone, then." He closes the door behind them.

rolls his eyes but says no more on the topic as he starts to walk home. "You have been eating, right?" And just like that he's back on the topic...