Hungary looked at the clock. Prussia should have been back by now. She had only sent him for a few things she'd forgotten at the grocery store that afternoon. Ten to one he'd gotten distracted with the magazines again. She glanced around the room and finally settled into the couch, wrapping a blanket around herself. There. Decorations were done. Cards were sent out. Gilbird was fed and contently nestled in the Christmas tree branches. All she needed was the rest of the ingredients for baking some cookies, fudge, and her favorite Hungarian roll and everything would be done. Except wrapping Gilbert's presents. That was always a last minute thing in case he found them. Returns WOULD be made if he came across them and she found out about it. There was one Christmas in particular that had decided that rule...

She'd hidden the presents in her closet after some early morning shopping, thinking nothing of it. Guys didn't generally look in their girlfriend's closets, right? So she'd stashed them and that was that. Later in the evening as she and Gilbert were making supper, she noticed he kept giving her a funny look when he thought she wasn't looking. It was an 'I know something' look, smirk included. "What?" she finally asked, after the fifth time.

Of course, the dork played innocent. "What?" he repeated.

"That look. What's it for?" She leaned against the counter and crossed her arms as he feigned cleaning a spot on the table.

"No idea what you're talking about, chickie."

She raised an eyebrow. "Reeeally?"

"Really. And to be fair, you're the one giving me a look," he replied, chuckling as he turned to throw the obviously still clean paper towel in the trash.

That was when she saw it. Or rather, them. She cleared her throat. "Oh yeah, did you do the laundry today?"

"...Uh..."

"You needed your socks done, right?"

"...Did I?"

"Your freezing feet last night told me." She knew Prussia hated wearing dirty socks, and when he was out of clean ones that was always the night she wanted to push him out of bed for nudging her with his cold toes.

He quickly turned around, his chick slippers scraping against the tile. Their little faces hid the rest of his feet. But she'd seen them. Brand. New. Chick. Socks. That were SUPPOSED to be a Chrsitmas gift. "What socks do you have on now, Gilbert? Hm? I'd like to see them." She started walking toward him.

"Uh..." He backed into the living room, a clear look of 'oh shit' on his face. "Why do you want to look at some lame old socks, Eli? They're just socks."

"Gilbert Beilschmidt, let me look at those socks!"

"Don't wanna!"

"Giiiil..." He turned tail and made a dash for the stairs. "GILBERT!" She ran after him, and tackled him about halfway up the staircase. He instantly became a whiny brat, knowing full well she'd gotten the best of him.

"Elliiii! Come ooonnnn..." He groaned as she pinned his back beneath her. "Eliii..." She ignored his protests and with a flourish yanked one of the slippers off. Holding the chick slipper high in the air, she made a high pitched hissing noise.

"I can't believe you!" There it was, the sock that she had bought that very morning. The little chicks dotted all over the dark blue background looked up at her. She tossed the slipper behind her and began tugging at the sock. "These. Were. For. CHRISTMAS! Jerk!" she managed through clenched teeth, pulling at the fabric as it slowly came off. "You know the meaning of a Christmas present?! It's meant to be opened on Christmas!"

"But my feet were cold!"

"Then do the laundry!"

Hungary laughed as she remembered their little squabble on the stairs. Apparently he'd gone looking for some socks in her closet ('What if some of mine got mixed up with some of yours?' had been his excuse) and had seen the presents. And what do you know, lo and behold he'd found exactly what he'd been looking for. When she threatened to take back the rest of his gifts he'd almost cried, and she knew right then that he'd seen (and possibly/probably played while she was grocery shopping) the new game system and electric guitar she'd bought for him. She had relented but warned him that there would be no mercy for future Christmases to come.

The door opened and Prussia hurried in, snow following him inside as a couple bags got stuck in the door. When he pulled them free, it was easy to see that one bag in particular had been the cause: it was HUGE, a large box obviously inside. She stared at it curiously, and looked up at him as he finally closed the door. "What's all that?" she asked. "I just sent you for a few things."

Prussia smirked as he came and leaned over the back of the couch, pecking her on the cheek. "Christmas stuff. That you can't see until Christmas." He gave her a particularly impish grin and she turned her head, following him as he moved down the hall, whistling teasingly.

She gazed after him, and huddled back into the couch with a slight frown. ...That rule was really coming back to bite her.