I saw Russia staring out the window at the falling snow, tears in his eyes. Worried, I approached him.

"Russia-san? What's wrong?" He turned towards me and took me by the shoulders.

"It's you, Lithuania." he stated.

"What about me?" I asked cautiously, the familiar feeling of fear rising inside me.

"I... I don't want this to be an open relationship any more..." His lips trembled as he held back tears. "I want an exclusive one..." He brushed at his eyes with the back of his hand and I waited patiently for him to continue. "Bu then I can't... The other countries... When they all become one with me, you might l-leave me..."His voice cracked and tears started falling freely.

"Is that what you're upset about, Russia-san?" He nodded and I reached over and wiped some tears away. God, they were straight out of the Arctic Ocean. He crouches down some more and some more and buries his face in my shoulder, gripping the end of my sleeve tightly. Sometimes Russia really was like a child. Wait – Russia was this upset just because he thought I might leave him? But that meant... It couldn't mean... No, that was stupid. He couldn't actually feel anything for me, not really. I just understood him more than most people. And did whatever he said without question. That was the only reason he called this a relationship.

But...

What if he really did... Love me? I thought about my own feelings for Russia. I didn't like him back of course. I hated him, in fact. He raped me and beat me and my friends. I had too many scars on my body to count, and all inflicted by him. Besides, I... Poland...

I thought back to everything Poland had done for me over the centuries.

"AAAAAGH, THAT BASTARD!!" I screamed suddenly.

"What? Who?" Russia asked, alarmed.

"Poland," I sighed.

"Why? What's he done? Hs he hurt you, da? I'll kill him!"

"No! No, he hasn't hurt me. I was just... Remembering old times."

"Da..." Russia said sadly, "I remember old times too sometimes..." he let out a small whimper, and at that moment he just seemed so pathetic, so pitiful, that for a second I forgot what he was and hugged him close to me and kissed him on the forehead, then on the lips. "I... I..." he stared into my eyes as if he would find the words he was desperately searching for in them. I stroked his soft (yet cold) platinum hair.

"I won't leave you if the other countries become one with you," I promise softly.

"R-really?" he sniffed, "So I can still feel the wonderful variety of the other countries? Oh, they're all so different, I want to know hat each one tastes like..." He hung his head. "... But I no longer feel comfortable with you seeing other nations... I want you to be mine and mine alone..."

"I... I don't mind if you see other countries but I don't..." I said, my voice strangled by my brain telling my heart that that was a stupid thing to say. My heart? When did that come into this?

"Really, Lithuania?" he asked hopefully, his amethyst eyes sparkling. I wondered when I started thinking of his eyes as amethyst.

"Really."

"Oh, thank you, Lithuania!" he cried with a hug that would break the bones of a human. "Let's go look at some pictures of sunflowers! I have a really pretty one that I just have to show you..." As he took my hand and led me upstairs, I thought that his hand didn't seem quite so cold as usual. It was probably just my own hand numbing.

Maybe if I told myself that enough times I would believe it.