Howdy!

As I keep working on Bingo!, I got this idea and it was just too good to be not made into literature.

("Amor vincit omnia" is latin for "Love conquers all", if you were wondering.)

Amor Vincit Omnia, Chapter 1

Ah, Paris.

The most romantic city in the world, with its vibrant and lively streets filled with the homely scent of baked goods and the happy chatter of tourists and residents alike. Gorgeous monuments of human engineering stand proud there, with people from all over the world admiring them and their builders. The river Seine, running through the city, picking up stories of love and hatred, determination and faith, hope and hopelessness. All of these elements and much, much more form together the outstanding atmosphere of the city, proudly worn as the crown jewel of France.

It was this special something Paris had that Francis suspected to be the origin of his power unlike any other nation had;

Francis could become cupid when he wanted.

It didn't mean he could turn into a chubby little baby boy with a bow and arrow like the cupid was usually portrayed, but it was similar. He would become what he could only describe as being a ghost; having the ability to go through walls and not be seen or sensed in any other way. When he did transform (by saying "Amor vincit omnia" while holding his right hand near his heart), he got a stylish ancient-Greek style toga as his ghost outfit, and most importantly, a very special bow.

The bow of the cupid was of light birch wood decorated by small, golden leaves sunken into the wood every there and there. Along with them came multiple carvings in Latin around the bow, each and every one about love. It fired typical cupid arrows; anyone who gets hit by one suddenly feels a massive rush of love, desire and lust for the person the cupid, or in this case Francis, wanted.

Francis didn't quite recall when he first had discovered his powers, but so far he was the only one who knew about them. He wanted it to stay as his little secret, and what would be the fun in telling everyone?

Francis liked to stroll around some quiet cafés and parks the most, since the risk of accidentally hitting someone else than intended was minimal. And it was much more romantic than to run around the streets!

Francis sparked all kinds of relationships, or even revived lost love between couples. The feeling of accomplishment when it all worked out for people was always enough to bring a smirk to his face, and it kept him going. And of course since he was slightly perverted, sometimes he could use his ghost form to voyeur the… fruits of his work…

But there were still downsides.

Francis sometimes felt like he didn't quite get the credit he rightfully deserved for fixing all kinds of love triangles. And when he wished to become human again, he would pop back to his human form fully naked. But of course Francis didn't think it was just a bad thing; appearing stark naked in front of your lover at any given time gave Francis the power to fulfill, many, many fantasies if he wished.

But then again he really didn't have anyone who to appear to. And he thought it was just plain wrong the use his power to make people fall in love with him, otherwise there would be a certain someone he would have shot many, many times over.

'Arthur...' Francis thought as he lazily played with his ballpoint pen at the Paris U.N meeting.

"And I think we totally should make hamburgers free for everyone!" Alfred blabbered at the other end of the long table, and Francis looked around to see other nations, all looking, more or less, bored of Alfred's non-stop talking.

"All right people, this is enough for today." Ludwig's voice was heard and a few relieved sighs followed from around the room. Francis stood up to pack his bags like everyone else, and headed off, stretching his legs as he walked the long corridor to leave the building he had been stuck in for several hours. But so had been everyone else, and Francis knew they were all going to explore Paris and have fun during the whole week of U.N meetings and such. And this gave a golden opportunity for Francis to start playing cupid for the nations, since the love lives of many were more complex than it first seemed. Francis knew there was unbelievable sexual tension between nations, and had been there for the worst case scenarios, hundreds of years. And memories of past relationships or alliances were still there to create uncertainty and tension.

But Francis could and would intervene, it felt like it was his duty.

Francis threw on his deep dark purple coat and hailed a cab. Everyone was staying at a hotel a bit further away from the very center of Paris, suggested by Francis in order to avoid tourists and give them a more real experience of the city.

He stepped out to the evening rain about ten minutes later, to find himself in front of the large hotel he knew very well, he had stayed there many times before and since it was so close to multiple quiet parks and inviting cafés and restaurants, it was perfect for his cause.

Francis opened the door to his suite and flopped onto the bed. He was smiling from excitement; the opportunity to play with the love lives of people was open to him most of the time, but he hadn't even shot a nation with an arrow, ever!

Francis had a plan; he would prepare a meeting with two other nations and at the last minute suddenly drop out because of some important U.N stuff or whatever he could think of. Then, when the two were left to themselves, Francis could start fixing their relationship. He didn't think firing an arrow created new feelings for someone, but they just intensified existing ones. And so Francis didn't think he was forcing anyone to love someone, he had seen people get hit by the arrow but not reacting to it in a major way. So the people hit by one were still the ones in control of their feelings and actions.

"Hello? Room service? Ah yes. A glass of red wine, and something the chef recommends to room 189. Thanks." Francis lowered the phone and sighed. He was going to have early dinner and then, "attend" Toris and Feliks for a tour of the nearby parks.

Francis thought the relationship between Toris and Feliks was a prime example of the complexity of nation relationships. They used to be together at the time of the Commonwealth of Poland-Lithuania, or during the middle ages. But a lot had happened since then, and the snooping around Francis had done revealed a lot which was keeping them from reuniting.

Toris felt shadowed by Feliks in their last relationship, and since Feliks never actually showed through all of his actions how much he did care (sometimes even doing the exact opposite), Francis supposed Toris never felt equal or treated well. But that was hundreds of years ago, and Feliks was more aware of his mistakes. He had matured slightly, and Francis noticed the way he wasn't quite as selfish around Toris as he used to be. Maybe he was regretting he never truly showed Toris what he felt?

Toris was clearly not over it either, and while he had often felt mistreated and frustrated, the affection he felt for Feliks was still there. But Francis suspected he was tired of being the only one to show any signs of affection, and so was waiting for a sign from Feliks, some sort of an act of love and apology. And since Feliks was still too stubborn and feared he would upset Toris again, he was not making a move either. The time they had spent after Toris was freed from Ivan had repaired their relationship so they were friends again, but the things both wanted to hear hadn't been said. And while Francis could never force either to start a talk, he was fairly confident the years of sexual tension were finally becoming too much for both. And the arrows might be just the thing required to make it all fall into place…

Francis thanked the person who bought him his glass of wine and plate of Hachis Parmentier; made from a layer of exceptionally good ground beef topped by a layer of mashed potatoes. Francis wasn't expecting such a comfort food of a dish, but then again he loved the restaurant of the hotel because they liked to surprise the customers with something unexpected. Francis was not surprised when it tasted and smelled amazing, and went well with the wine he had ordered. Then, his phone ringed.

"Francis, where are you? We've been waiting for you for like, forever." It was Feliks, and Francis could hear the frustration in his voice. "I'm so sorry Feliks, but the U.N meetings cause a lot of paperwork for the host nation. And unfortunately it's taking more time than I thought it would. I would love to join you, but I'm just too busy." Francis lied effortlessly and he heard Feliks sigh. "All right, I guess we can look around a park by ourselves if you can't like, make it." Francis smiled devilishly; everything was going as planned!

He stood up, put his right hand on his chest, and after checking the windows and door were all closed, he spoke.

"Armor vincit omnia."

He immediately felt a warm, fuzzy feeling engulf him and he saw as his clothes fell through his ghost being. He fixed his toga to a better position and wished he could slightly tweak it so it would be closer to a beige color, but it would have to do. As he walked literally through the door, he was disappointed he couldn't see himself in the mirrors on the hotel corridors. It made it impossible to make sure he was looking good, even if nobody else could see him.

He reached the park in no time and started looking around for his target. He found Feliks and Toris walking around, Feliks cracking jokes every now and then and Toris admiring the flowers, which were of no interest to Feliks.

Francis had learned early on that the point where he fired the arrow was crucial. Fire it too early, and the target might hesitate. Fire it too late, and the person hit could already have messed things up.

'And now we wait…' Francis thought.

"I wonder what Francis had planned for us. I hope we won't miss out on something…" Toris said as he walked along the little paths of the park with Feliks. "It's like, just a park. We can explore it together just as well." Feliks replied.

Feliks was nervous to be alone with Toris. The reason he had the courage to come was in the hopes Francis could make everything a bit smoother. Feliks felt pressure to act more maturely and less like himself with Toris, to hide from his what had damaged the boy before.

'I damaged him…' He silently thought.

He, in all his selfishness had thought that it would have been okay to step over what Toris wanted and still have his love. And while Toris had never really spoken up about it, Feliks had realized it when he was taken by Ivan. All that time… all that time together and Feliks had never told him it clearly through all his selfishness and childish behavior;

That Toris mattered so, so much to him.

And when he finally had returned, Feliks had promised himself never to push Toris into a relationship again, and it gave him comfort and the hope they could one day become friends again.

And once they did become friends once more, Feliks was awoken to the reality that he really wanted Toris back as his lover.

But it was not going to happen. Feliks had gotten his chance, but it was now gone. Toris probably had someone else already... and even if he didn't, he needed someone who he could trust and would show him affection. And while Feliks really, really wanted that someone to be him, it was probably so that Toris didn't want him back. Because surely, he would have shown it already…

"Feliks, you look a bit distant. Should we go sit down or something?" Toris asked concerned. "I'm fine, like really. But it's cold. I think we should go warm up in like, a café or something." Toris nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I never thought it would be this cold in the spring…"

Toris agreed to go to the first café Feliks suggested, all the while worrying for him. Sure Feliks was childish and like himself every now and then, Toris thought that it seemed like Feliks was always thinking hard, and he hesitated before he did certain things. It puzzled Toris, but it also worried him sick. Was something wrong? Had he done something wrong to Feliks?

He wished that neither were true. What he wished to be true was that Feliks could finally return to his old self. Sure Toris saw how he tried to be nice to him and all that, but it wasn't the real Feliks. He would rather have the sometimes insulting and naïve Feliks of the old days than the stressed out, seemingly "holding back" modern version of Feliks. Of course Feliks had matured over the years, but not this much. And while all this time Toris had waited for an apology for just the things he used to do, he suddenly wished some of that Feliks he fell in love with and still loved was still there.

'Please, God or whatever is out there, make Feliks okay and happy again. Even if that happiness is without me…' Toris thought sadly, almost feeling a lone tear in the corner of his left eye.

Francis pondered what to do. It was clear both of them would probably need an arrow, but not necessarily at the same time. If he could get Feliks to tell Toris what he feels, and right after that hit Toris with an arrow as well to intensify the moment, they could finally destroy the wall of misinformation and distrust between them. But it was all down to if Feliks was brave enough at that moment, and if he didn't tell, the sexual tension would reach unprecedented levels.

The two drank their hot chocolates while both thinking about each other, wishing the other would suddenly tell them they really were loved. But both had wished this for years now, and hope was slowly fading on both sides.

"Um… where next?" Toris asked as they stepped into the cold evening air of springtime Paris. "Well it's like 20, so I guess we could go tour the north side of the park before heading back to the hotel?" Feliks suggested and Toris liked the idea. The two didn't talk much when they walked along the wet pavements of the park, illuminated by the atmospheric yellow light from the street lamps.

Francis was getting nervous. No talking was a bad, bad sign and he had to get the ball rolling before it was too late. He followed the two for just a little longer, but then decided it was time.

He took the bow and an arrow from the little bag on his back and when the two stopped to look at something, Francis saw his chance. He pulled the string on his bow back and aimed at Feliks. The arrows didn't hurt, and when one of the gold-tipped arrows hit Feliks, he felt nothing.

Which obviously meant he felt everything.

Feliks stopped and froze suddenly, a wave of every emotion washed over him. Toris looked at him puzzled, but Feliks looked at him with a sudden realization.

He really loved Toris.

The thing he was so ashamed of, so unsure to tell, so stressed about… it was there, too powerfully to be ignored or held back. Feliks tried to regain control but it wasn't enough, he wasn't enough to keep it all hidden from Toris.

"Feliks, what's wrong? Answer me!" Toris said with serious concern. "I-I'm… like fine… don't worry, just a stupid joke…heh…" Feliks muttered, lying every word. "Don't give me that! How do you think I can ever help if you don't tell the truth? Please… I'm worried." Toris replied, almost pleadingly.

Feliks knew it had to be told.

"Please…don't hate me for this…" Feliks pleaded, but continued before Toris could reply. "I…I still love you… I can't… I can't let go of ...you…" Feliks whispered with the faintest of whisper, almost crying as he took a few steps back from Toris in shame.

Francis then fired the other arrow, hitting Toris straight into the neck. He wasn't sure if Toris really needed it, but this had to work.

Toris's eyes went wide from the information. He was in shock; not even in his dreams had he hoped this could even happen.

"Feliks, I…still love you… too…" Toris mumbled because of a mysterious sudden rush of affection. He walked right next to Feliks out of instinct, and hugged him tight.

Feliks was in shock, and so was Toris, so neither wanted to let go of the other in the fear of what would happen next. They stayed like that for seemingly ages, just enjoying the closeness after hundreds of years of separation, until Feliks spoke up again.

"I'm sorry about how I treated you all those years ago… I always cared about you so much… Can you like, forgive me?" Toris didn't even have to think of an answer as he whispered;

"I forgive you."

It was all it took for both to feel extremely happy, and the hug tightened. Feliks was sobbing from happiness, and Toris was close to tears as well. They would have stayed there for much longer if Feliks wouldn't have pulled away just so they were facing each other, and after looking at each other's eyes for just a few seconds, Feliks leaned in to kiss Toris.

The first kiss was unsure, but when Toris started the second one all the sexual tension of years and years Francis had speculated of showed itself in fiery passion. The two were basically making out in the middle of a public park, and Francis was glad there weren't many people in sight to ruin the moment.

Francis smiled smugly and proud at the two. 'Mission accomplished.' He thought.

Once they reluctantly separated, neither could stop smiling. Francis knew what was going to happen after this, and wasn't sure if even he was perverse enough to enjoy the fact that Feliks's room was right next to his. But then again he had never seen what sex was like between two people after years and years and years of sexual tension… so Francis decided he could observe… in the name of science, of course.

And you can fill in the rest here...honhonhonhon :P

Feedback is appreciated and please report the spelling errors I won't notice because you are blind to your own mistakes.

Tune in next chapter to see which relationship is next on Francis's to-fix list :)