Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia, but by God, I own the pride of being a Canadian!

He couldn't breath. The air was too hot, suffocating. Matthew could see nothing but the numbers on the scoreboard.

U.S. 2 : Canada 2

Sudden death overtime.

All the blood in his body felt frozen, stopped in his veins like time had on the ice. Ukraine gripped his arm, blue eyes wide and locked onto the white and red jerseys. Everyone was watching. All the spectators. All of Canada. All the world.

The entire stadium held unusually quiet. Even Russia, towering beside his sister, stood subdued.

All the muscles in Matthew's body ached, clench so tightly his hands shook. The puck traveled down to America's end and people watched, praying hard for just one chance. Iginla and Crosby both fought for it, pushing towards the goal. Most held their breath, just praying that Canada would be able to get back in time if America managed to get it out of their own end.

Then it happened.

Sidney Crosby turned, flicking his stick at Miller. The puck sailed through the air and disappeared…

… into the American net.

Matthew heard the crowd scream, saw the launching out of their seats. Katyusha yanked his arm, jumping up and down, her words cracking as she screamed as loud as she could. "Matvey, you won! You won!"

The shock almost took out his knees. Matthew looked up to the jumbo screen. The replay played again and again, eliciting new roars and cheers. It was like a jump-start to his insides. Relief flooded every part of him making his fingers and toes tingle with a rush of blood.

Screaming a "YES!" of his own, he threw his arms around Ukraine and gripped her tightly, burying his face in the crook of her neck. Her own encircled his neck, hands lacing into his hair.

"You did it, Matvey! You did it! You won!" she chanted over and over again, happy tears tracing down her heart shaped face. Ivan's deep, booming laughter and bear like arms wrapped around them both and Kumajiro who'd managed to wiggle in between.

"You play a good game, Canada. You should be proud, da? No crying."

Mathew touched at his face, feeling the dampness, and laughed breathlessly. His cheeks flushed but he smiled, not seeming to care. And when he looked up, seeing his flags waving in the air, cowbells waving frantically and the sobs of happiness from his people, the tears seemed well justified. Matthew whistled with his fingers between his lips, then the whistling turned to yelling in outright joy. He swung Kumajiro onto his shoulders, jumping up and down, punching his fist into the air.

As the images of the wining goal passed from TV to TV, province to province, across his whole country, a buzz rushed through his body, the happiness and pride filling him to the brim until the edges of his vision blurred into a glow. He felt light headed, and happily so. There were no words to describe the feeling of seeing his hockey team lined up in a row, gold medals sparkling around their necks. Open, loud, boisterous pride was not something he was known for like his brother, but right now he thought he might make an exception. Quiet Canadian patriotism turned into a roaring, blaring horn. From Victoria to St. John's, it was a spirit felt in ever corner of this land.

This was Canada's game. And they'd won gold on Canadian soil.

The moment was historic.

Across the ice, he spotted Alfred walking off with his team, eyes narrowed and jaw tight with disappointment. He bumped knuckles with them, pausing only to look upwards at his brother. A small tight smile lifted the corner of his mouth, lifting a hand he gave a salute then disappeared to the locker room.

"Matthew!" The Canadian looked upwards to a few rows higher to where England, France, Australia and New Zealand with a few other nations, stood in ovation, clapping and smiling, wiping away tears of their own.

"Good on ya, Mattie!" Jack grinned, arms thrown up in the air.

"Merveilleux, Mathieu!" France cheered.

England merely nodded, swatting at his eyes and smiling.

Ukraine slipped an arm around his waist, cheek to his chest. "I'm so proud of you, Matvey! You've worked so hard-"

Ducking his head, Matthew cut her off with victory kiss.

A historic moment indeed.

Sorry if there's any mistakes, I wrote this very quickly.

HOCKEY IS OUR GAME!!! YEAH!!!