As Sweden put away the last the of the dishes, he took a good look outside his backyard. It was bright and sunny with just a few white clouds drifting in the sky as the Earth turned. The windows were open; the room filling with cool and crisp but fresh air. He could hear the birds singing in the distance. A few had decided to stay behind to enjoy an all-you-can-eat buffet at the brand new bird feeder he had made just a few days ago.

Sweden was home all on his own. Sealand had gone to spend some time with Latvia and Estonia and took Hanatamago with him while Finland was out picking up groceries for the week. But the Swede didn't seem to mind. As a matter of fact, this was perfect timing. In a few days, it would be their anniversary and Sweden wanted to do something special. This year was going to be different from any other year. This year, Sweden was going to perform a song for him. A song that he made all on his own.

But there was only one problem. Sweden wasn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed when it came to making music.

Out of the Nordics, Norway and Finland were the ones who were musically gifted. Norway knew how to work that violin better than anyone. To this day, there still isn't anyone who can compare to the Norwegian man. Finland, on the other hand, had the vocals. In his opinion, Finland had the voice of an angel. His heart would flutter every time a tune came out of the Finn's mouth. It was soft yet at times powerful. It was hypnotic and mesmerizing. It was one of the many things he loved about his "wife."

Sweden, however, was not as lucky. He wasn't bad. Not at all actually! He was still better than Denmark who could barely play anything with the exception of the cello (which Norway came to the conclusion that he should never ever be allowed play) and the electric guitar that he took up in 1970s. But he still had a long way to go to be considered "good". He had played the violin and piano before. He used to entertain some of his former bosses with those instruments. However he hadn't played those instruments in nearly 300 years. But Sweden wasn't going to let that stop him from putting his idea into action. He was determined to give him the best gift possible. A gift that came straight from the heart.

In the living room, Sweden sat down in front of a small black piano. The piano itself had a long history among the nations. Its original owner was Austria who then gave it to Hungary after they divorced. She didn't keep it for long and gave it to Prussia. He didn't want it seeing as it belonged to Austria but Hungary was so desperate to get rid of it that he didn't say no. Hungary was still hurt from the divorce and the piano brought back too many memories of their days together. At the end of World War II, it ended up in the hands of Russia after Prussia was no longer considered a nation and he took possession of some of his belongings; the piano being one of them. It then ended up in the hands of Estonia who took it after he left Russia's house. But with no space for the piano at his home at the time, he temporarily left it in the care of Sweden and Finland. But as time went on, he never took the piano back and Estonia eventually allowed the couple to keep it for themselves; knowing it would get a good home there. Since then however, it had only been used a few times. Neither of them were avid piano players so it was mostly kept for decoration. Though Sealand appears to have gained a bit of an interest in the large instrument lately; often pressing random keys and the notes coming out garbled. It was jarring to the ears at times but hearing his son laugh and enjoying himself like that just made the both of them smile. It was all part of the joys of being a parent.

Another major problem was that he couldn't write music nor could he read it all that well. That was Austria's department. Sweden was more of the freelancer because of that. He would just play something and if it sounded right he would try to memorize every spot on the instrument so he could recreate that sound later on. He could always just call Austria for help but the Swede was just too shy to pick up the phone and give him a call. Besides Sweden's shyness, the two hadn't exactly talked in a long time (with the exception of a few world meetings); making things slightly awkward for not only Sweden but for Austria as well. He felt it was better for the two of them to keep their distance from each other.

Sweden raised his hand and slowly began pressing down on random keys to get the feel of the old wooden instrument. Despite its age, it sounded almost flawless; showing that it was well-taken care of by all of its previous owners. Sweden quickly glanced around the room once again to make sure no one was around the house. He would be embarrassed if someone would of walked in through the door while he was playing! He breathed a sigh of relief when he assured himself that he was still alone. He raised his hands once and began to play.

In all honesty, he had no idea what he was playing. But he liked it! It had a mixture of softness that was pleasurable to the ears but a hint of sadness that pulled the strings of the human heart. A story was unfolding in his living room and Sweden was determined to memorize every last bit of it. He stared heavily at what keys he was hitting so he could create a mental photograph for when he had to perform it again. He was so engrossed in what he was doing that he never felt a pair of arms wrap around his neck. His attention was grabbed when a voice whispered in his ear.

"Was that for me?"

He quickly stopped and gave a shocked glare towards his "wife" while Finland backed away a little shaken. He had grown used to the Swede's stares but they still sent chills down his spine every now and then.

"Ahh! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to scare you like that! It's just... the song you played, it was beautiful."

Sweden's attention was grabbed by the comment, "Ya think so?"

Finland gave off one of his famous smiles; the smile that captivated Sweden every single time, "Of course. Believe it or not, you're better than you think you are when it comes to the things you do," he remarked, "Everyone's got a talent in life. For you, your talent lies with your hands. You can do virtually anything with those hands of yours. That piano is no exception to the rule. After all, it needs to a pair of hands to operate it. And I think it's found a wonderful pair," Finland said as he placed a kiss on Sweden's cheek; flustering a beet-red Swede.

"Ah, that reminds me! Can you help me with the groceries in the car? It will go much faster if we do it together!" He said as he began to walk away for the door. However Sweden had other plans in mind as he grabbed the Finn's hand and pulled him back towards him so he would collapse on his lap. When the two were close enough together, Sweden wrapped his arms around Finland's waist and buried his face in his hair; his senses overwhelmed by the smell of Lavender. It was moments like these Sweden loved the most. Just the two of them together alone and cuddling. He loved the times he could hold Finland close; maybe placing a kiss or two on his head or on his cheek while enjoying the sounds around them. Whether it was the sounds of nature, fire crackling, soft music or even just pure silence, it was a moment that never gets old for either of them.

Sweden felt the gentle touch of Finland's fingers as they brushed against his cheek. He was the first to break the silence between them.

"Sve?"

"Mmh..."

Finland adjusted his head slightly so he could look straight into Sweden's eyes, "Don't be shy to play music around me. I'd love to hear you play more often," He smiled as he placed a soft but quick kiss on the Swede's lips. He tried to leave so he could return to the task at hand but Sweden didn't want him to break away and leave him. But Finland gave him a reassuring smile that eased him just slightly, reminding him that times have changed. Finland wasn't going anywhere. He was here to stay for good; with him and Sealand. His heart wouldn't have it any other way.

"Sve, if you want to, you can help me put away the groceries. They won't put themselves away on their own! I'll race you to the car!" He said as he made a quick dash for the door. Sweden lifted himself off the bench and stretched out his arms. He was about to walk towards the door but he made sudden realization. Now that Finland had heard him play, he was going to have to come up with a new anniversary gift with only 3 days left to go. Now what was he going to do?