Music Box

It was no secret that computers, or even technology in itself, were Estonia's best friend. He was never without his laptop. If he could take it with him, it was there and in plain view. If it wasn't possible to have it with him, there was some other gadget that was filling the void. His fellow nations sometimes would joke around and tell him to just marry his devices while Estonia would always laugh it off. While technology was an important part of him and his life, there was something else that meant much more to the tiny Baltic nation.

Music was extremely important to him. It was his first love and an important part of his culture and national identity. He himself had a talent for music. He had beautiful singing voice and made sure to practice every day to maintain it. Music was around him all day and all the time. He always had music playing around the house, whether it came from the radio or his personal collection. He once had some traditional musical instruments kept around home but they were damaged decades ago and never bothered to replace them. He also kept an old music box in his bedroom that he frequently played.

But this was no ordinary music box. This one was unique and held a special place in Estonia's heart. Near the end of the 19th Century where Estonia and Finland were free to live in their capitals during certain times of the year, Finland saved up his money for over a year to have a music box built for his long-time friend. He had gone to one of the finest builders in Helsinki. A man who built music boxes for the upper class, he was well-known around the city and was considered the best for the job. The item was large and took up an entire table but that was standard for the time. The tune was just as special as it was a song that was specifically composed just for him. Finland didn't want something that was typical. He wanted something that was unique and something that came from the heart. He had worked with a local composer to get the sheet music finished months before setting foot into the shop. His services were not cheap however but Finland wouldn't settle for anything less. And Estonia was eternally gratefully for it.

Since the day Finland personally delivered the music box to him, Estonia took great care of it. He always made sure to dust and clean it as well as making sure all the parts were in working order. He also always made sure it was never in direct sunlight; fearing it would damage the wood. It was his favourite item that he owned and he loved to show it off. However, there were times where he had to part ways with the music box. When he was forced to move into Russia's home once again, he feared the music box would be damaged (or worse, destroyed) if he brought it with him so before he left he asked Finland to take care of it until he returned. He didn't know when that would be but he was grateful to his friend for taking it in. It was one less thing he had to worry about when he unwilling left his home in Tallinn for the long train ride to Moscow.

Now an independent nation once again, he had the music box back in his possession and it was still in great condition. Aside from a few minor scratches and a small dent on the side of the lid, it still looked brand-new and the sound was still pitch-perfect even after all these years. Some of the parts had been upgraded while it was in Finland's possession which contributed to its perfect sound. On days like these where the weather was peaceful, he loved to listen to it play while lying in bed, sometimes even with a good book or his laptop in hand. Currently, he sat at the edge of his bed while the sounds of the music box filled the room. Nothing could be wrong at this very moment. This is what peace sounded like to him. He just wanted to stay like this forever.

"Hey! You ready to go?"

Estonia snapped out of his thoughts and turned to find a familiar face standing in the doorway. A man with short blond hair and bright violet eyes, it was none other than his long-time friend and ally.

"F-Fin! What are you... But how did you—"

"Don't tell me you already forgot! We promised to get together today for drinks with Lithuania and Latvia. They're waiting downstairs for us. Oh and your door was unlocked," he laughed. He walked over to the open music box and gently ran his finger around the box. Feeling the smooth sensation of the wood and hearing the soft sounds of it sent a flood of nostalgia to the neighbouring nation.

"It's been so long since I last heard this. I'm amazed you even still play it, let alone kept it."

"This is more than just an item. This was a gift from you and it means so much to me. I could never throw it away or put it in storage. It doesn't belong there."

Finland blinked for a moment but a smile formed on his face soon after. He walked over to the bed and sat next to him before placing his arm around Estonia's shoulder.

"I'm happy that you kept it. I knew this was something you'd like and I wanted to do something special for you. You mean a lot to me. You know that right?"

"Of course! But don't you ever feel upset with me? I mean, I never gave you anything in return."

"That's where you're wrong. You did give me something. You gave me yourself; our friendship. And that's the best gift of all. We may not have had a lot of opportunities to spend time together but I cherish all the moments we did get the chance to share, both the good and the bad. I feel lucky we've got to be friends this long. Not too many nations can say that can they?"

Estonia was nearly brought to tears as he felt a wave of emotion hit him. He never knew Finland had felt that way about him but the feeling was wonderful. Finland may have felt like the lucky one but it was him feeling the luckiest. He couldn't have asked for a better friend than him. In the heat of the moment, Estonia pulled Finland in for hug and he happily obliged. The two stayed this way for what felt like hours as they listened to the music box play its final notes.

"Hey! Are you guys coming?"

The two were interrupted when they discovered Lithuania and Latvia standing in the doorway, "I don't mean to break the moment but if we don't get moving, we'll lose our chance to grab some good seats at the restaurant. We'll have to wait for hours if we get caught in the dinner rush!"

"Yeah! And waiting in line for a table is not on my list of things to do," Latvia chipped in.

"Alright already! We're coming down," Finland replied. The two nations then left the room and Finland soon followed but quickly faced the Baltic nation, "You coming?" He asked. Estonia smiled back at Finland and nodded, "Yeah I'll be down in a minute. You go on ahead."

Finland was satisfied with the response and turned to leave the room. Estonia got off the bed and grabbed his cell phone off his night table before heading to the music box and shutting it closed for another day.

© TESSISAMESS