Okay! More Hetalia. This absolutely has history behind it, lol. Canada, Ukraine. I legit did some research here. GASP.
Canada and Ukraine have enjoyed a good relationship diplomatically over the years. I, like many others, wanted to explore how they would interact, since Hidekaz-san hasn't shown them together. Ever. This will absolutely be an ongoing fic, with this chapter just being the establishment of the relationship. Definite focus on Ukraine because I love her.
At the end of this I put together a simplified (no it is not) timeline of the interaction between Ukraine and Canada over the years, as well as what was going on with that poor girl. Knowing a little bit of history might increase the enjoyment of reading this, ffffft. Or maybe not.
Canada, Ukraine, etc (c) Hidekaz-san. Am only borrowing.
The first time they met, it was awkward for both of them.
Her, because as hard as she tried (which was harder than most) her gaze slipped from him, like rain sliding off an umbrella .
Him, because his own gaze continued to be drawn irresistibly toward her breasts, straining against the buttons of her shirt.
Despite the initial uncomfortable moments, they managed to socialize fairly well. Both knew, somehow, that the meeting of that day would impact the rest of their lives.
Not long passed before she could keep his gaze and concentrate only on him, hearing what he was saying. She never asked "Who?" of him. And even faster, he could see beyond her chest to the woman that she was. They became fast friends, spending days just relaxing, watching TV, talking. They had enough things in common to discuss; latitude lines, weather, hobbies, friends and foes.
They would talk about family. Ukraine telling tales of her siblings as children kept Canada's horrified attention; knowing the people they became, hearing that they were sweet at one point never ceased to fascinate him. And Ukraine would laugh with abandon, wrapping her arms around her aching ribs, when Canada would hotly exclaim, "And ANOTHER thing about America..."
They felt they had reached an understanding, comfortable with their situation. Sometimes they would fight, tiny squabbles over cultural differences, or things like Ukraine's tendency to apologize for everything, or Canada's seeming obsession with maple syrup. But they remained close, with people visiting and moving between the two countries.
The war made things different. Ukraine had been thrown into the struggle, her brother's empire collapsed into ruin. She had declared independence from him after that. But her brother, in his unbalanced state after such a fall, had been walked over by his leader. Revolution had occurred, and suddenly, Ukraine was a member of the Soviet Union. She had visited still, doing her best to keep cheerful. Even then, Canada could feel the pain radiating from her, and did his best in every way to support her.
She had come to him one day, upset and confused. Her jacket was new; long and unfamiliar, it somehow made her smile seem cold and distant. Canada had turned the heat up in a desperate attempt to get her to take it off. Something about the coat seemed almost oppressive, its military cut and style. War didn't suit her.
Their meeting had been awkward, but in a way totally different from the first. Conversation had been stiff and fake. It was like they had been just going through the motions. They had avoided looking at each other, staring at the floor, the walls, the tasteful yet completely fake flower arrangement Canada had on his dinner table. They made painfully dull small talk there on the couch, where they had made so many happy memories.
And Ukraine had torn the coat from her shoulders, sinking to her knees. Tears had streaked down her face, leaner than Canada remembered, and suddenly, he could see how the flesh had melted from her already lean form. He had held her there, on the floor of his apartment, for hours as she cried. She had told him, sobbing, how her people were starving and hurting, and he could see how their pain tore into her like a blade. He had held her with all his strength, whispering that, no matter what, he would help her people. And true to his word, he had taken them in without comment or complaint, merely doing all he could to make sure they survived, dancing in circles to avoid bringing Russia's wrath upon either himself or Ukraine.
When the Soviet Union fell, he had heaved a sigh of relief, knowing that finally, Ukraine would be set on the path to recovery. He was one of the first there to acknowledge her independence, standing ready with a bouquet of flowers, smiling despite tears. Her embrace had been warm, his chest tight with emotion, and more tears had fallen freely. They opened embassies, and had dinner together in what could only be described as a celebration of life returning to what it should have been like all along.
Not long after, he had taken her to a hockey game, as a way to perhaps wind back and relax. She had smiled and laughed again, and the warmth of her happiness had left him breathless. Her smile had brought the beauty back into her too-thin face. And she had teased him like she used to, when he had cried. (But only a little.) He had told her in a thin voice that it was because he was happy for her. Before long, she was shedding tears as well, their arms around each other, laughing through tears. They knew that the hardest part was over, and they had made it through. That night, they declared a special partnership, the first official agreement between the two. That night, she had been the girl he remembered, who laughed and cried with equal passion. That night, some of their joint suffering had vanished.
That night, she had kissed him in the chill air outside of his apartment. Her lips were warm and full, a definitive sign of her returning health. They had held each other, wrapped in a blanket on Canada's now-threadbare couch, merely sharing body heat and being together. Canada had planted soft kisses on her cheeks, and he had whispered, "Україна." She had cried then, knowing just in the way he said her name how much he cared. After that, no one remembered who had said the words first.
Ukraine hadn't left that night. Whispered admissions of love had led them both to the gentle comfort of a shared bed. After years of knowing each other, of bonding and falling in love, each others' touch had been familiar and desired. They made love that night for the first time, in the flickering light of a dozen candles.
When they woke the next morning, she had smiled warmly at him, exactly the way he remembered. Her eyes, staring directly into his, were full of gentle love, a lingering happiness that would never leave.
And time went on.
IT SEEMED LIKE THE RIGHT PLACE TO STOP.
WALL OF TEXT AHEAD. Focused on Ukraine, because most of you guys are American. Which means you should know what Canada was up to during these decades, RIGHT? RIGHT??
Canada and Ukraine meet, 1900s, as Ukrainians begin to migrate to Canada. Ukraine enters WWI as part of the Central Powers (under Austria-Hungary) & Triple Entente (under Russia). But with WWI's end, both had a failure to be empires. The Russian revolution set off the Ukrainian War of Independence. They lost. The new Soviet Union was expanding. Ukraine fell under Soviet rule. Stalin led the Soviet Industrialization. Ukraine is an agricultural nation, so Stalin's dick move resulted in the Holodomor, a forced famine. (Side note: recognized as genocide.) Somewhere between 4 to 7 million lives were lost due to crop failure and the seizure of rations by the government. Ukrainians began to migrate en mass to Canada, since apparently going to America to seek your fortune seemed cliche to them, good for the Ukrainians. This continued up until WWII.
Germany and the Soviet Union BOTH pull dick moves and partition Poland! WAR! Ukraine didn't do anything amazing during WWII except be a real fucking trooper against Germany.
WWII ends. But Ukraine's battle is not over. In the late 1940s, drought hits , kicking off yet another famine. AND Ukrainians were the victims of forced deportation under Stalin. Guess where they went? If you said Canada, you are wrong. Siberia. So instead of waiting around for Stalin to ship them to Siberia, a significant amount of people ran off. Guess where they went? If you said Canada, you are correct. Meanwhile, Ukraine becomes an industrial leader. Things are looking good. Not to last.
Fate hates the Ukraine. Chernobyl. Enough said. Four years later, Ukraine goes for independence again. Success! They elected their first president in 1991, and a week later the Soviet Union was officially dissolved. Canada was the first Western nation to recognize Ukraine's independence, a day after the election. 1992, Canada opens his first embassy, and Ukraine opens one too. The next year, they both open consulates.
In 1994, the two countries jointly declared a Special Partnership, which I basically see as common law marriage between them ahaha. This was renewed in 2001.
FUN FACTS: There are currently a bunch of Canadian organizations offering aid to Ukraine, like the CIDA. There's also a Canada-Ukraine Chamber of Commerce.
IF YOU MADE IT THIS FAR, CONGRATULATIONS. Your reward is the general ideas of what the rest of this will be like. Because balancing family and romance is hard. Expect taunting America, France making runs for Canada's woman, England crying over the sweetness (and beating up France), Russia's contradictory reactions, and Belarus wanting to become one.
