Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia or any other show mentioned in this story.
30 June 2016; 23:45 PM
Matthew
Matthew Williams sat on the couch in the living room of his rural Canadian cottage, half watching the latest episode of the latest television drama. Next to him, Gilbert was engrossed in the show, leaning over with his elbows resting on the coffee table placed in front of the sofa. Matthew stared at the clock as it ticked towards midnight, internally counting down the seconds until the next day would begin.
He was jolted from his silent musings when an explosion rang out from the television set.
"Did you see that?!" cried Gilbert in disbelief. "That was awesome!" Matthew nodded along as if he had been paying attention to satisfy his boyfriend, and Gilbert turned back to the show, wide-eyed and enthralled.
Five minutes to midnight, as the show was coming to a close, Matthew rose from his seat and walked over to the kitchen to fetch his cellphone. He flipped through a couple of emails and walked back into the living room as Gilbert shut off the television. He checked the clock on his cellphone. Twenty-three fifty-nine. Seconds to go. He opened his contacts and scrolled down his list. As the clock struck midnight, he pressed on the contact that read 'Leon' and pressed call. The line clicked as Leon picked up.
"Happy Birthday!" exclaimed Matthew, completely in sync with Leon on the other end. They both laughed as if hearing an old inside joke. It took the two nations a minute or so to collect themselves, Matthew wiping his eyes as Gilbert looked on from the kitchen in concern.
"Well," began Matthew as his laughter ceased, "how's your birthday been so far?"
"Pretty good, like, as far as birthdays go," replied the Cantonese teenager. "This time, Lukas and Yao actually, like, allowed Ice to come over, which is certainly a development." Matthew hummed in agreement.
"To be honest, I'm a little surprised! Though perhaps more surprised that Norway allowed it. He always seems to so protective of poor Iceland," Matthew admitted. Leon sighed.
"You have no idea. I think they fought over it until Denmark, like, stepped in and talked some sense into him." Matthew was a little shocked. Denmark talking sense? That was certainly a first!
"Well, I'm glad you got to see him in person!"
"So am I," said Leon wistfully. Matthew smiled knowingly.
As surprising as it may seem to onlookers, Canada and Hong Kong caught up about once a month; sometimes more often when they found the time. When Leon had first been handed over to Arthur as a young territory, the first person he had warmed up to had been Matthew. He looked up to the western nation as a sort of older brother figure, and often consulted him about issues he didn't feel comfortable discussing with Yao or his other siblings. Since their birthdays happened to be on the same day, it was a long-held tradition for Matthew to call Leon at exactly midnight in Canada. (Obviously, it wasn't midnight for Leon because of the time difference; they had decided on Matthew's midnight.)
"So..." said Matthew with a mischievous tone in his voice, "have you done it yet?" Matthew grinned evilly. He could practically feel Leon's blush through his cellphone. He giggled, and Leon coughed awkwardly.
"Well...no," he admitted.
"Come on, Li! Your promised you'd do it today!"
"I know, but I got, like, nervous, and then he got all cute, and- agh!" Leon tried to explain. Matthew sighed.
"You know, Leon, it isn't really as scary as you think it is."
"But what if he rejects me? What if he, like, friend zones me?"
Matthew tried to hold in his laugh. "Oh my gosh, Leon, he isn't going to reject you! I've seen you two, he's just as much in love with you as you are with him!" Leon choked from the other line.
"L-love? No! I mean, how would you know that?" he asked dejectedly.
"Um, everyone knows that. Even Norway. Which is why he doesn't like him seeing you. Duh."
"I-uh-ugh," Leon choked, failing miserably with his attempt at a reply. Matthew giggled ruthlessly at the lovestruck, awkward teen.
The two friends chatted for another hour or so, Matthew mercilessly teasing a disgruntled Leon while trying to push him into asking out his Icelandic crush. When Matthew began yawning in between stories and Gilbert's bear-like snores started wafting down from their bedroom upstairs, they ended their call so Matthew could get some sleep for the next day.
They bid goodbye to one another and Matthew plugged his phone into the wall before padding upstairs to the bedroom. Gilbert was sprawled out on their king-sized mattress, hair mussed and mouth hanging wide open as he snored. His snores, Matthew noted, sounded a bit like a strangled cow. He stifled a giggle at the thought and tiptoed over to the bathroom, where he brushed his teeth and changed into his nightwear. When he emerged, Gilbert had rolled over onto his back and was hugging a pillow to his chest as if it were the most precious item in the world. Rolling his eyes at the other's antics, Matthew slipped under the covers and nestled into his pillow. Gilbert, as if sensing Matthew's presence in his sleep, rolled over and replaced the pillow with Matthew, pulling him tight to his chest and taking a deep breath of the Canadian's hair.
"Nrg...'night, Vögelchen," Gilbert mumbled, groggy with sleep. Matthew sighed happily and cuddled into his boyfriend.
"Goodnight, amour," replied Matthew before drifting off to sleep himself.
Matthew woke at the sound of the door creaking open. Blinking sleepily, he recognized the white and red blob in the doorway as Gilbert.
"Guten Morgen, Birdie!" chirped Gilbert happily. As per usual, the Prussian was way too chipper in the morning. Grumbling, Matthew reached over to the bedside table and felt around for his glasses. Gilbert walked over and picked the glasses up, setting them on Matthew's face gently. Matthew blinked as his eyes adjusted, and he was finally able to see again. He rose up onto his elbows and would've gotten out of bed had Gilbert not tackled him back onto his pillows.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MATTIIIIIIE!" yelled Gilbert enthusiastically as he hugged Matthew to his chest. Matthew flailed in his arms, searching for a way to get his heavy boyfriend off of him. After some struggle on the Canadian's part, Gilbert finally released Matthew. Matthew sucked in a breath of air as he was finally let up from the constricting grip.
"Merci, Gilbert," Matthew said in thanks. "Did you have to tackle me, though?"
"Why, of course! You are the birthday boy, after all!" Matthew sighed at Gilbert's response. Sometimes, Gilbert acted a little too much like Alfred. "So, how about some breakfast? I made crepes!" Gilbert exclaimed proudly. Matthew smiled sweetly at him.
"Sounds good!" he said, following the energetic Prussian downstairs to the kitchen.
After they finished breakfast, Matthew answered a few birthday calls from friends as Gilbert cleaned up. Apparently, Gilbert had a surprise for him when he was done. Matthew ended his last call, this one with Katyusha, just as Gilbert finished wiping down the counters.
Gilbert finished piling some 'mystery items' into the back of the Land Rover, and they drove off to whatever their destination was.
Matthew fell asleep about fifteen minutes into the drive. When he finally woke up, he was met with the sight of a dirt road and a thousand evergreens. He looked over at Gilbert, confused. Gilbert met his gaze with a grin before pulling into a small open area and parking next to a few other vehicles, most sporting large trailers connected to the bumper. They got out of the car and stepped out into the dust-ridden parking lot. Gilbert handed Matthew his hiking boots from the trunk, followed by a helmet.
"Gil?" Gilbert merely grinned in response and beckoned Matthew down the narrow dirt path leading from the parking lot. When they path opened up, they were in front of a spectacular racecourse, and on their left lay two dirt bikes. Matthew's face lit up in a smile, and he jumped in excitement.
"Dirt biking? Oh my goodness, this is so awesome!" Matthew squealed happily. Gilbert laughed at Matthew's outburst and fastened the strap on his helmet.
"See if you can catch up, Vögelchen!" Gilbert taunted as he mounted the bike, revving the engine. Matthew, sensing a challenge, hopped on to his own and twisted the throttle. He sped off, right on Gilbert's tail, and the race began.
Gilbert and Matthew raced until about one o'clock in the afternoon, Matthew proving that he was a speed demon at heart. Both of them won several races amongst themselves, and they tied on the last one, to the disappointment of both. Now hot and sweaty, they hopped back into the Rover and drove to their next 'mystery destination.'
Once they reached their destination, which happened to be Matthew's favorite sugar shack, Gilbert handed Matthew a set of clean clothes and sent him off to the bathroom to change. When Matthew emerged, now significantly cleaner, he was met with a large group of his closest friends and family waiting around a large table towards the back. Matthew's smile widened as they leapt up to greet them.
"Happy birthday, mon bebé!" squealed Francis while embracing his son.
"Merci, Papa," said Matthew, thanking him. The rest of the group wished him a pleasant birthday as well before settling down to order their meal, Matthew sitting between Gilbert and Francis. Matthew's friends and family smothered him in gifts, which he opened and thanked them each enthusiastically for. As they finished eating, Gilbert pulled Matthew up and over to the dance floor in the center of the dining room.
Matthew blushed as Gilbert twirled him around, his family whooping and whistling from the table. He and Gilbert spun and danced in smooth, practiced movements across the floor, Gilbert's arm wrapped securely around his waist. The group at the table (sans Alfred, who glared) cheered as Gilbert dipped Matthew before bringing him in for a quick peck on his lips. Matthew flushed scarlet, but smiled at Gilbert as they finished their dance and sat back down.
Eventually, Matthew and Gilbert bid their friends and family goodbye, and drove back home. Matthew sat on the back porch with a glass of lemonade in his hand as Gilbert cut them both a generous slice of maple birthday cake in the kitchen.
Gilbert handed Matthew a plate and a fork as he settled down next to him. They chatted idly while munching on Ludwig's delicious creation. After finishing their dessert, Gilbert hooked an arm around Matthew's waist.
"Time for your actual present, Birdie!" said Gilbert, crimson eyes gleaming.
"Oh, Gil! This whole day has been enough of a present!" said Matthew.
Gilbert smiled sweetly and held Matthew close to him. "Oh, Birdie, the entire world wouldn't be enough of a present for mein Vögelchen." Matthew began to giggle incessantly.
"Oh my gosh, Gilbert, that was so cheesy!" laughed Matthew. It was Gilbert's turn to turn red.
"But it's true!" Gilbert said in an attempt to justify his statement. Matthew giggled, then looked up at Gilbert sincerely.
"I love you, Gilbert. Je'taime, and merci for today, it was wonderful!" said Matthew, pressing their lips together in a soft, sweet kiss. Gilbert broke the kiss first.
"Ich liebe dich auch, Mattie. Oh, and-" Gilbert leaned up and breathed against Matthew's ear, "-it's not over yet, liebe." Matthew shivered.
Gilbert took Matthew's arm and dragged him out of the kitchen and out the back door. They ran for a minute or two until they reached a ledge overlooking a valley near the cottage. The sunset bloomed beyond the horizon, blushing in its hues of orange and pink. The view was breathtaking- Matthew's breath hitched at the gorgeous sight.
Gilbert was more focused on the gorgeous, breathtaking sight to his left- Matthew's violet eyes were blown wide open in amazement. A lovely shade of pink flushed across his cheeks, matching the sky above them, and his golden hair blew gently in the evening breeze. Gilbert was captivated. He cleared his throat.
"Matthew," he said seriously as said Canadian turned to face him, "you are the most amazing person I've ever met in my eight hundred years on this Earth, and damn, Birdie, that's really something." Matthew's blush reddened, and his breath catching.
"Gil-" Gilbert cut him off before he could continue.
"Matthew Williams, I love you. I've loved you for a while now- practically since we first met. You are wonderful, beautiful, amazing, spectacular- words can't even describe what you mean to me." Matthew's hands rose to cover his mouth, and he was already crying as Gilbert slowly slid down on one knee.
"Matthew, Vögelchen, Birdie, mein liebe- will you marry me?"
"Hell yes!"
Leon
Leon got off the phone with Matthew and walked out into the living room where his family and friends sat.
"Nice chat, Li?" questioned Yao as he refilled the snack trays. Leon nodded affirmatively and went to sit down next to Emil, cheeks flushed slightly pink, refusing to meet the Icelander's gaze.
Little did he know, Emil was blushing as well.
Leon had finished opening his gifts shortly before Matthew called. Yao had never been one to throw large parties for his siblings' birthdays, so Leon had settled for a small family gathering in their home. Somehow, he had convinced both Yao and Lukas to let Emil come for the party, which Leon was eternally grateful for- he rarely saw his Icelandic friend in person, and spending time with Emil beat everything else Leon could think of.
Leon had been utterly ecstatic when Emil had presented him with a pair of convention tickets earlier that day. Leon had wanted to go, but never gotten around to actually purchasing the tickets. Emil's gift was perfect- the Con was this weekend, meaning they could go and nerd out together.
Yes, it was absolutely perfect.
Yao confined the family and Emil to the living room for a little longer before sending then off on their own. Leon and Emil immediately went up to Leon's room, where he had his gaming systems and television, and immediately turned on their Disney marathon while eating leftover cake and ice cream. They watched all of their favorite movies- The Little Mermaid, Cinderella, Lady and the Tramp, Sleeping Beauty, Hercules, and of course Mulan and Frozen as well as some others. Their marathon lasted well into the night, and only ended when Emil fell asleep on Leon's shoulder during their tenth movie. Leon admired his sleeping form for a moment before coaxing the Icelandic nation awake and leading him to the guest bedroom for the night. They bid each other goodnight, Emil giving Leon a short hug and wishing him a happy birthday, and they went their separate ways.
Leon lay in bed late that night, unable to sleep and thinking about what Matthew had told him. Should he really do it? Would Emil really accept him? He had very strong feelings for the boy, feelings so strong that they were hard to conceal, but should he risk ruining their wonderful friendship for it?
Casting the pessimistic thoughts from his mind, Leon decided to sleep on it and shut his eyes. He could almost feel Emil's presence in the next room, and somehow the thought comforted him enough to coax him to sleep.
The next morning, Leon woke up a bit late after dreaming a rather vivid dream of his Icelandic crush. He almost didn't want to give up, butt he could hear Yao bustling about the kitchen and his siblings doing whatever they did in their own bedrooms. Rising up and giving a mighty yawn, he dressed hurriedly and walked downstairs.
Emil sat at the kitchen table, fully dressed and chatting with Yao. It seemed that Yao was merely making small talk with the Icelander, asking questions about his upbringing, family, and country which the younger nation answered shyly but assuredly. Yao gave Leon a look as he entered the kitchen that clearly read don't screw up with this one. Leon turned a little pink under Yao's gaze.
He sat down at the table next to Emil and helped himself to a small bowl of rice. The two young nations conversed awkwardly as Leon ate his breakfast. Yao could sense the tension between them, and he grinned to himself when they weren't looking. Emil and Leon would make the perfect couple- it was a shame that neither of them would do anything about it!
The next two days passed quickly for Leon and Emil, and soon they were preparing to drive over to the convention center. Clad in the matching cosplays of Sawamura Daichi and Sugawara Koushi from Haikyuu!, their latest anime obsession, they hopped in the car and drove to the center.
Soon, they were there, had found a parking spot for the day, grabbed their gear, and headed into the throng of fellow anime fans to explore. They first went to the dealer's room, where Emil bought Leon yet another birthday present, which Leon protested against greatly, so Leon bought something for Emil to make up for it. Later in the day, they attended two panels of their favorite shows and had a blast. Emil even convinced Leon to go up and ask a question at an ask panel, which Emil filmed for posterity. Overall, the first day was great.
The next morning, they woke up a bit earlier than the day before and dressed in their second cosplays. These were the somewhat more complex outfits of Shiro and Kuro from K. As part of Leon's gift, Emil had set up a photo shoot for the two of them in those particular outfits.
Because the two of them were hardcore shippers of Shiro and Kuro, their photo shoot would have a more romantic vibe to it- which only added to the awkwardness between the two of them caused by their not-yet-confessed feelings.
At one point, their pose consisted of Leon, dressed as Kuro, holding Emil, dressed as Shiro, in a bridal style position. Both boys' cheeks were airbrushed pink as Leon held Emil up for the photo. The picture turned out to be absolutely adorable with Shiro and Kuro's flushed cheeks- it would cause any fangirl to squeal in excitement.
After finishing the photo shoot, they went to a meet up and a panel hosted by some of their favorite content creators. They had an absolute blast watching the creators interact, and fetched a quick lunch before heading to the last panel they'd attend.
This panel was a crossover panel for Attack on Titan and Haikyuu!- how that worked, they had no idea, but the competitions the two groups got into competitions that had Emil and Leon in hysterics for the entire duration of the panel- it was hilarious! They were sad to see the end of the convention, but all good things must come to an end. They made one last trip to the dealer's room to purchase some My Little Pony merchandise before heading back home.
Leon, with one hand on the steering wheel and the other empty but longing for the pale hand on the seat next to him, knew that he could wait no longer- he had to tell him.
The next day was Emil's last day in Hong Kong. Yao helped him pack his bags and prepare for the long ride home the next morning. However, before he left, Leon wanted to do something special.
Just after lunch, Leon dragged Emil out of the house, and they drove a few miles out of the city to a lovely garden Leon liked to spend time in occasionally. All sorts of plants thrived in the garden, varying in size, shape, and color. Emil felt as if he were surrounded in a rainbow- it was all so beautiful!
Leon had brought a small basket with a snack for the two to share.
"Emil," said Leon suddenly as they bit into their food, "thank you for, like, visiting me on my birthday. It was pretty much the best birthday I've had." At this point, Emil had flushed a deep shade of scarlet, a small smile gracing his normally-stoic features.
"Thank you for letting me stay in your home. I've always wanted to visit here; it's so different from Northern Europe," said Emil wistfully.
Leon smiled softly at the Icelander. "We've loved having you here, and I seems that Yao likes you, which means he'll probably, like, pester you to come again soon."
"If Lukas ever lets me visit again," admitted Emil. Leon grinned.
"Maybe I'll just have to, like, come and visit you then." Emil smiled a bit.
"You know, maybe you should- I'm sure my family would love that." Emil grinned evilly as he said so.
"Oh, no. You, like, have that look in your eye again." Emil chortled evilly and Leon laughed at him.
"Emil..." he began.
"Yes?"
"I-" he suddenly couldn't find anything to say.
So, he leaned forward, took Emil's hand in his, and pressed his lips to Emil's in a loving kiss- a kiss that portrayed all of the emotion that he had been hiding for years now.
Emil kissed back just as passionately, and just like that, Leon's birthday wish came true.
A/N: Happy birthday to Matthew and Leon! I hope you enjoyed the story. This may be late for some people, but it's still the first here, so I guess it's fine! I was pretty tired this evening, so the HongIce portion was a bit half-assed...sorry. Also, I'm just about to publish a multi Chapter PruCan fic, so... I'm shamelessly promoting said story. Feedback is always appreciated, go tell me what you thought of this, partially half-assed or no. Thanks again,
-musicalscribe