Say Goodbye to Loneliness

by Kharissa

A boot to the glass of a vending machine and an invitation to skip the meeting was all it took for Canada to spend the rest of the day with Prussia. But Gilbert has something to ask Matthew, that will change both their outlooks on their lives. Rated T for language

Alone. Again.

It didn't matter how hard he tried. Matthew Williams, the personification of Canada, just couldn't escape the loneliness he felt. The main factors toward that being he was practically invisible and his brother always stole the show.

His brother... words really couldn't describe the hatred and jealousy the violet-eyed nation felt for America sometimes. They were brothers, twins, but they were never close. It felt like America wasn't even his relative. Just another nation who ignored him all the time.

Even at the World Meeting the nation was at America ignored him. He'd raised his hand for every single question (even the rhetorical ones) and actually had something to contribute. Globoman was not feasible and would be a huge waste of time and money if the hamburger-eating nation went through with it.

No nation had remembered who he was for more than five minutes. France was an exception, though. But that was only when the horney bastard didn't get any from England last night, or when he had a fight with said nation and needed to be right for once. Even Kuma forgot his name! But the spectacle-sporting man couldn't blame the polar bear. They could never remember each other's names, so he guessed it was okay. Though it didn't make his day any brighter when the white bear asked who he was, ignored him and said he was hungry.

The Canadian often wondered what he did to deserve this. He hadn't started any wars and only intervened as a peacekeeper when necessary. He tried to get his government to please his citizens, though he knew he couldn't make them all happy. On top of that, now he had to deal with Quebec trying to separate again and become it's own nation. There was just too much on Canada's plate.

So much, that sometimes he wondered what it would be like if he and England had lost the war of 1812.

Obviously, The country of Canada wouldn't exist anymore. But Matthew Williams might. He'd be like Prussia, his country long gone but himself still strangely immortal. At least then his life would be simple. He'd offer advice to Alfred and wouldn't have to deal with everyone wrongly calling him America. They'd be right, they just wouldn't have the right person.

Or maybe Canada could be like Romano, one half of a whole country. He wouldn't even have to go to meetings. He'd just watch the country while his brother was away pissing all the other nations off.

But as much as the saddened Canadian fantasized about that, he knew it wouldn't have happened. His country hadn't been unified yet, so technically he still wasn't a nation. He would have... just died.

The Canadian was so wrapped up in his thoughts he didn't realise America had called the meeting to lunch. He grabbed Kuma, ignored Italy's shriek of terror at the "FLOATING-A POLAR BEAR!" and ran to find a vending machine. In his rush to get to the stupid meeting, he'd forgotten to pack himself a lunch. He found a vending machine that took Canadian coins just as the nations were going back into the meeting hall. He put in his money and punched in the numbers for a Mars Bar. And watched it get stuck. Now freaking out, the northern nation punched the glass, hoping to knock down the bar of food. But he only succeeded in making his fist hurt.

Now more depressed by his defeat at the hands of a vending machine, the nation hung his head. But he jumped back just in time as a large boot slammed into the glass, cracking it and making almost everything fall down. A pale hand reached into the slot and grabbed an armful of candy. One of the items was the chocolate bar Matthew had tried to get. Figuring the nation didn't even know he was there, Canada just turned away.

"Oi, Birdie! Don't you want your chocolate bar?"

The blond stopped mid-stride. Had he just been addressed? He turned around and saw the same pale arm holding out the exact Mars Bar he'd been trying to get at. Matthew's eyes followed the arm all the way up to the chocolate-covered face of Prussia. He was awesome, but no one said he was a clean eater! Canada took the food offered to him and unwrapped it, tentatively taking a bite out of it.

"M-merci beaucoup, Prusse"

"You are awesomely welcome and... you seem kinda down"

""A-and that's weird because America is n-never down?"

"Huh? What does that unawesome bastard have to do with you?"

"W-wait... y-you know who I am?"

"Ja, you're Canada"

"H-how..."

"How are you Canada? Well Mattie, let the awesome me explain this to you. When you were just a little kid, Franci-"

"I-I know how I became a country... but how do you k-know who I am?"

"Easy. You're awesome"

"Q-quoi?"

"You are awesome because the awesome me notices you, and the awesome me only notices awesome people. Simple! Besides, you told me your name that one meeting a couple months ago when I accidentally and awesomely knocked down your hot chocolate on your lap"

Ah, yes. That had been one of the most hectic meetings Canada had been to in a very long time. Almost all the nations had severe paper cuts by the end of it (except for Canada because he just sat in a corner and watched) and honestly it was quite funny. Poland had started the paper fight because Germany yelled at him for putting sparkly nail polish on his copy of the meeting schedule. Poland had sliced Germany's arm with the besparkled paper, thus starting what some would refer to as 'The Paper Bloodletting' incident. Everyone soon began to fear when the Bad Touch Trio got near, because they had lots of paper and knew how to use it.

"Birdie!"

Canada jumped a little as he heard his nickname yelled.

"O-oui?"

"The awesome me has been trying to get your awesome attention for five minutes now! What were you thinking about anyways? You had a weird kind of smile"

"Th-the Paper Bloodletting incident"

"KESESE! That was awesome work by the Bad Touch Trio!"

"O-oui... ah, we should probably get back to the meeting"

Prussia immediately frowned. He could see the pattern, they would just be ignored and the entire thing would just be a waste of both of their times. What he wanted to do was spend some time with the nation in front of him,and hopefully get a new friend in the process. Someone who actually understood what it was like to be practically invisible...

"Birdie... as much as the awesome me hates to say it, there's no point. No one will listen to a damn thing I have to awesomely say, and I think I'm the only one who actually knows who you are. How about we drive to somewhere in your country and do some sightseeing?"

Canada thought it over. He did have his briefcase with him, which contained everything he'd brought with him. Seeing his nation's places and people would also be nice, though it was the middle of winter. The bespectacled man nodded and next thing he knew he and Prussia were in the car. Kuma was sleeping in the backseat, with Gilbird sleeping on the bear's head. The two had appeared to form some kind of connection as they and their owners were walking to the vehicle.

"So, where do you awesomely want to go?"

"Um... i-it's kind of winter, so w-we could go to Winterfest in a city outside of Toronto?"

"And what will the awesome us do there?"

"U-um... skate, sled o-or sowboard... drink hot chocolate... i-if you don't want to, that's f-fine. I mean-"

Canada's rant was stopped by a smirk from Prussia. Which abruptly turned into a smile.

"We will make this place a thousand-no, a tragillion more awesome!"

"T-tragillion?"

"Yeah! It's a word the awesome me has been trying to get into the dictionary for centuries! But there's no scientist unawesome person who can support whatever theory, bladabla, no one will put it in the fucking dictionary. The unawesome losers!"

Matthew smiled and drove off. The meeting (conveniently) was being held in Toronto so they only had a forty-five minute drive to the city. Canada had a house there because he needed to be close to Toronto, but he also hated big cities. He also found out that Prussia got bored during car rides very easily. Soon the albino turned on the radio and found that his carmate had it on a country station. It was quickly turned to a rock station and Gilbert spent the rest of the ride trying to sing with the people. But he failed. Until they played a screamo song. That was the kind of 'singing' the Prussia was good at.

They arrived at the house and Gilbert jumped out of the car. He ran up to the door, smirking like crazy. He'd never been to this house before! Well... he'd never been to any of Canada's houses, but he was sure they were nice!

The violet-eyed man smiled and unlocked the door. The whole house smelled like maple, which the albino had expected. This was Canada, after all. The house seemed to incorporate something from all the provinces and territories of Canada. The carpet was white, the walls were wood and had a painting of mountains right on the wood. The kitchen looked like one you'd find in a restaurant and the whole house was just... cozy. Which was what Prussia was beginning to like about Canada... even the nation himself was cozy, in a way. Matthew walked to a closet and got out two pairs of pants and two jackets, along with a toque that said 'Canada' and a toque that had the basic colours of the Prussian flag. He threw one jacket and one of the pants at the albino.

"Birdie, the awesome me is already wearing pants!"

"I-I know... b-but do you want them to get wet?"

"Nein! So the awesome me has to wear these unawesome pants?"

"Th-they're not as bad as you think... just a little bulky. They're a-actually really warm"

Grumbling slightly, Prussia put on the snowpants and the jacket, grabbed the hat from the floor and put it on. After writing 'Prussia Forever!' on it with permanent marker. The blond dug in the closet for a little more, before producing two sleds, a snowboard and two pairs of skates. Smiling at his guest, the shorter nation walked out the door and put the items in the trunk of his car. The red-eyed man followed and got in the front seat, quietly calling shotgun... though that was kind of obvious. Canada got in and started the car, driving off to a place with a big hill behind it.

"W-we're here...what do you want t-to do first?"

"...The first awesome option"

"W-which is?"

"Whatever the first option is, kesesese!"

"T-to the hill we go"

The bespectacled nation got out of the car and grabbed his snowboard and the two sleds from the trunk. He handed one to Prussia and raced off toward the hill. He didn't stop running until he was at the very top, with the white-haired man following behind. Their pets were falling just a little behind.

"So... what does the awesome us do?"

"W-well... I'm going to be snowboarding, b-but you sit down or lay down on the sled and go d-down the hill... try to not wipe out though..."

Gilbert looked down with a little uncertainty. Matthew saw this and strapped himself in to his snowboard.

"J-just watch me, it's easy... or are you scared?"

It was a serious question, but of course the albino took it as teasing. So he sat down on the sled and pushed off. His companion watched to make sure he was okay, and once the older was at the bottom (and had apparently flopped in the snow) Matthew went down. He went off a ramp and spun in the air, landing perfectly thanks to years of practice. he stopped in front of the clapping and laughing Prussia.

"That was awesome Birdie! See, I told you you're awesome!"

Canada blushed and bowed, sitting back in the snow to take the board off.

"S-so how was your first run?"

"...The awesome me can't remember, I've been running since I was a cute little nation!"

"N-non, going down the hill i-is called a run"

"Oh... well, the awesome me has to say, thanks to my awesomeness and your awesomeness combined, this activity is worthy to be done by the awesome me!"

"Hah, th-that's good!"

"Hey Birdie, the 2010 Olympics were held in your country, ja?"

"Oui... pourquoi?"

"Because the awesome me saw you doing that trick! Kesese, looks like you've awesomed it!"

"O-oh... I didn't know you were at the olympics... o-or that you saw me..."

"Ja, the awesome me was there, but I was there in disguise! Bruder had tried to make me stay home that year to watch the country, but the awesome me was too awesome to stay at home, kesesese! Can the awesome us try the thing with the shoes with blades on the bottom now?"

"Y-you mean skating? I-I guess so... where are Kuma a-and Gilbird?"

"Sledding"

The northern nation looked to see that the polar bear and chick were on the other sled, going down the hill as people watched with awe. Canada just shook his head and muttered 'Crazy polar b-bear' under his breath. He walked to the car with the albino in tow and put away the sled and snowboard. He got the skates, and after making sure the Prussian's feet would fit, they walked to the outdoor rink and got them on. The Canadian walked in the snow with his skates on and stepped onto the ice as if it were the most natural thing in the world for him. However, it was Gilbert's first time on skates... so walking there, he fell on his butt. Matthew skated over and held out his hand for the fallen nation to take.

"But won't that drag the awesome you down with the awesome me?"

"N-nope... Gil, I'm pretty s-sure out of all the nations I-I'm the best skater... so I can keep my balance"

Trusting the words of the other, the albino took the hand and found that in a few seconds he was on the ice. He stood there moving his legs to try and go, but sort of failed. The blond skated over again and smiled.

"Th-this is your first time skating, oui?"

"Nein, of course not! The awesome me has skated plenty of times! I just... uh, the memory of how to move is... not there...?"

"O-okay. Well, I-I gave you figure skates-"

"HEY! THAT SOUNDS UNAWESOMELY GIRLY AND THE AWESOME ME IS NOT GIRLY AND THE AWESOME YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT!"

"G-Gil, calm down, sil vous plait? I-I gave them to you because they're easier to skate with"

"Okay, so how does the awesome me move?"

"Dig the end of the blade into the ice and push off, then d-do that with the opposite foot and y-you'll be skating... it looks like the last p-people are leaving, s-so we have the ice to ourselves"

Gilbert looked around and sure enough, his companion was right. it looked like everyone was either going home or going to the hill to see the sledding polar bear. With his jaw set and his 'conquerer' mindset coming into play, he did as the experience one said. Soon, he was skating... sort of.

"KESESESE! BIRDIE, LOOK! THE AWESOME ME'S DOING IT! I'M SO- MMPF!"

Canada tried so hard not to laugh, he really did. But with Prussia's head in a snowbank an his body language clearly stating he was not amused at all, it was funny to the small Canadian. He lifted his friend out of the snow by the back of his jacket and tried not to chuckle. Though he failed.

"Birdie, the awesome me isn't blind. Stop laughing at the awesome me!"

"I-I'm sorry Gil... b-but it was kind of funny... I-I laugh at the little kids who fall too... as long as they don't cry... then I-I go help them. But-... I-I'm ranting again"

"Kesesesesesese! Ja, you are! So, the awesome me is going to conquer this new thing that I have to do, so don't help the awesome me! I know... kind of... how to do it!"

Matthew shrugged and turned around. He counted to three, then shot off on the ice. The rink was pretty big, so he could go full speed... which was as fast as he would go if he were being chased and he had the puck. Prussia didn't get up, he was too mesmerised by the blond's speed and skill. It was almost like there was a hockey game going on; Prussia just couldn't see it. Matthew stopped at one corner, counted to five and skated around the entire perimeter of the rink. He noticed the albino hadn't gotten up yet and shrugged. He completed his lap and lazily skated over to see what the issue was. The red-eyed man stood up as soon as Canada got close and attempted again, this time actually getting some speed and eventually made it around the rink. He plopped down in the snow and smirked at the ice.

"Unawesome frozen water-"

"I-ice"

"Ice, you thought you could take the awesome me down? Well, you're wrong because THE AWESOME ME IS MORE AWESOME THAN YOU, KESESESESESESE! Oh, and Birdie! The awesome me watched the hockey game you had with Russia that one year!"

Canada sat down on the ice, not bothered by the cold.

"Y-you did? That was so long ago... h-how did you go to see it? Wasn't the Wall still up?"

"Ja, but Ukraine and Belarus brought the awesome me! That was actually the first time I awesomely ever saw you"

"A-and I guess you forgot about me as th-the years went by?"

"Nein... I didn't forget you, and I've been trying to talk to you for practically forever, but unawesome things keep popping up and disrupting the awesome me's quest to talk to the awesome you!"

"A-ah... why is it a quest for you?"

Prussia sighed and abruptly became serious... which scared Canada a little.

"Well... the awesome me knows you don't get noticed, which is completely unawesome, and the awesome me just gets ignored because... my country is too awesome for them... so, we kind of awesomely know what each other goes through... and ja, Francy-pants and Toni are good friends, but... the awesome me thinks they're only drinking buddies, in a way. They don't care that the awesome me is... unawesomely lonely, even with them. So... the awesome me just wanted to be your friend"

Within seconds, the albino had his arms full with the overjoyed Canadian. Someone noticed him! And not only did they notice him they actually knew what he went through! He lifted his head to look into the shocked face of his companion and smiled.

"Oui... I'll be your ami, Gil"

"Kesese, awesome!"

As the two hugged in the snow, they smiled. They didn't know what would happen, or even if they'd stay friends. But they knew this: They could both say goodbye to loneliness!