Well, I love both history and SuFin, so I really wanted to write something like this. I hope it works out okay. There isn't very much material about Sweden's history in English I could find, but I'll do the best I can with everything I could find. (There are some really juicy bits! ). Any comments and critisism will be highly appreciated.

Always By Your Side

Prologue: 2008

You still remember, don't you?

Yes, of course you do. How could you forget? Even if you could, I doubt you'd want to. All those precious moments... the times when you two were always together, when you thought the world was yours, all those adventures and battles you two went through...all the memories...

...Even some you'd rather forget.

You still see him almost every day, and while he still looks like the same person you lived with for so long, you know the time you two have spend apart has changed him. The changes are slight, but sometimes they show through, no matter how subtle they are...You used to know him so well you can tell how the time you two have spent apart has changed him. He's quieter and far more competitive than before. And he's colder towards you. You used to think it was just Russia's influence rubbing onto him, but at some point you realized it's not only that. The way he glares at you sometimes...does he blame you for what happened to him? Who knows...

Still, not everything has changed. He has still retained some of the innocence he had when he was still a small child playing in the woods; you can see it in his eyes. He's still the same person who never left your side, the one who smiled so sweetly...the same person you fell in love with. Oh yes...you still love him, right? Or has that changed too? Maybe not the same way you used to, but...oh yes, you still love him. There's no way you could forget the times when you were never alone. Do you want those times back? Do you want him back?

Unfortunately, you can't decide it on your own. Isn't it strange how you can't tell what he thinks anymore? Now that you think about it, could you ever tell? He loved you back before, didn't he? Didn't he? It's probably better not to go there. It's certain that he loved you in some way back then. His current feelings matter more...Well, he riles up whenever he even thinks someone's threatening his independence, so it's highly unlikely he wants to live with you no matter what he thinks about you. Or is it?

At least you still get to spend time with him, even if he seems to take everything as a competition nowadays. You're almost always seated next to each other in meetings too, like in the UN meeting today...

"Su-san! Su-san!!"

Sweden blinked in surprise and looked around, bewildered, before realizing that he was still at the UN meeting. He could see Denmark sniggering at his expression as well as Norway frowning before turning to his right and seeing the fair-haired young man that had been calling for him. He looked amused, but his purple eyes betrayed his nervousness.

"F'nland?" He muttered, "Wh' happ'nd?"

"I think you dozed off." Finland whispered to him as a reply, and eyed around nervously. "I hope America-san didn't notice, he's giving a speech now..." He then sighed in relief. "It's okay, he wasn't looking at this direction..."

"Uhmm..." Sweden grunted, shaking his head around trying to clear it and then straightening his tie. "Th'nks", he whispered.

"Don't mention it." Finland whispered back, slightly frowning before turning around and focusing on America's speech again.

Sweden silently gazed at the younger man, before also starting to pay attention towards America and his longwinded descriptions regarding both the credit crunch and for some odd reason, ice cream flavors.

After several hours, the meeting was finally over. Finland quickly left his seat and went to talk to Estonia. Sweden carefully pushed his seat to its place and walked towards the two, until suddenly stopping and staying there just looking at them, leaning against the wall.

Yes, it's better to let them have their chat in peace; they're best friends after all. But you heard that they've been getting more distant from each over as well. Isn't it strange that despite the world getting smaller, everyone seemed to be growing apart? Everything's changing...Wasn't it so much easier when there were fewer houses and you were strong and feared? And when he never left your side?

Oh yes, you still remember, don't you Sweden? Want to share your memories with us? Let's go back and see...