Emil found it hard to concentrate on the pages before him. He wanted to be able to relax. To just zone out and not care about anything. Sadly, he had wished on a star that wouldn't listen. He always found himself agitated and distracted when the volcanoes of his island became more active. They were always such a bother. Flights could become delayed, and depending on the location...people could get hurt. Of all his years as a nation, these were some of the worst times.

"Island," Not. Fucking. Now. He could never find the right way to explain how this affected him. And none of the others really had volcanoes, so they wouldn't even understand if he tried to explain. "Is something the matter, lillebror*?" Gritting his teeth, Emil ignored his elder brother. He never liked losing his temper. He didn't like snapping. It reminded him of a time when things were worse. He didn't know if he'd be able to endure Norway's pestering right now. Not with him already so on edge. Just go away. Just walk away. Please, just leave me alone. "Lillebror?" Something inside Iceland snapped.

"Why do you have to baby me all of the time?" Hostility was laced thickly in his voice. His eyes locked in a glare directed at the shocked nation. "Seriously, it's annoying. I'm not a little kid anymore, alright? Just leave me alone." Norway couldn't move. He couldn't speak. He just stood there like an idiot. Iceland was never one to snap or get angry. Yes, he got agitated or flustered easily, but he never raised his voice. And for Norway to be the cause of this burst of anger? Guilt weighted heavy in his stomach.

"I-island?" Great. Now he's stammering.

"I said to leave me alone, okay? Just…go bother Danmörk*. You seem to enjoy doing that." He found a lump forming in his throat. Still, he couldn't move. Despite how badly he wanted to run and hide. Ever since their viking days, the others knew of Lukas' fear of yelling. Maybe it was from Denmark's harsh ruthlessness, or maybe it was simply because he was so weak. Norway wasn't sure. But he could see Emil becoming more and more angry with him. And he couldn't do a damn thing. He couldn't try to calm his brother, he couldn't speak a damn word. His hands had begun to tremble. He could feel his composure breaking. The protective walls he'd put up breaking. He needed to run and hide before he broke down completely. He wished hopelessly for one of the others to come and save him. But they'd probably heard Emil yelling and knew to steer clear.

"B-beklager, lillebror*." He had did it again. Called him that. It was an unhealthy habit of Lukas'. He knew Emil didn't like it. But Lukas couldn't help longing for a time where Iceland needed him. A time where he couldn't even walk properly without his help.

"Stop. Calling me. That. Just…..just Þegiðu," It took both of the brothers a moment to realize what the Icelander said. Instantly, Emil regretted what he'd said. But the damage had be done. This wasn't something one could easily fix. Not when he could see the silent tears streaming down Norway's face. This was something that would take a lot of sucking up to fix. "Lukas, I-" The moment Lukas realized he could move again, he took off for the stairs. Before Emil even had the chance to move, Lukas ran headlong into Mathias. The Dane caught him before he could fall down the stairs. He'd probably heard the argument escalating and wanted to come try to straighten things out between the brothers. Norway weakly tried to escape Mathias' Hold.

"Norge. Norge. Hey…" He instantly began to speak in hushed Danish, attempting to calm Norway down. Emil moved from his spot, slightly frightened by the amount of emotion his brother was freely showing. He made his way to where the pair were sitting on the steps, Lukas stubbornly refusing the Dane's comfort. Emil sat himself in front of them, cross-legged. He kept silent for a moment, trying to figure out what to say. Lukas had already began to rebuild his walls. Emil rested his head in his brother's lap. Neither needed words for what was said. Iceland was permitting Lukas to touch him. Neither were very comfortable with physical contact, but they knew it seemed to be the only way to cheer the other up. Lukas was always there to baby Iceland more than normal if he was upset, even if he was the cause of his distress. Hesitantly, Norway wound his fingers into Iceland's tangled hair. It seemed to comfort the Norwegian. Reminding him of when Iceland was younger. Emil shifted slightly, meeting his brother's eyes but not moving away.

"Fyrirgefðu mér, stór bróðir*?" Emil caught a gleam of what looked almost like mischief.

"Nei.*" Cursing himself, Emil buried his face in Norway's lap.

Lillebror- Little brother.

Danmörk-Denmark

beklager, lillebror-I'm sorry, little brother.

Þegiðu- a really, really rude way to tell someone to shut up in Icelandic.

Fyrirgefðu mér, stór bróðir- forgive me, big brother.

Nei-no.