a/n: This'll be my first published fanfic after a couple years and I can say that I've grown a lot as a writer since then. I'm happy to be coming back, especially with a story like this. I'd like to give special thanks to Liz, Margaret & Jenna for the constructive criticism and this is my Canada Day present to you guys. Happy Canada Day!
Prologue
Maple! Matthew Williams splashed his numb face again and again. He had a killer of a headache, and Canada was rarely the kind to get a hangover. To no avail did the icy tap water clear his foggy memory. The only things he remembered, before waking up in the luxurious suite, were bright lights and lots of drinks. Lots of drinks.
Did Las Vegas have the same effect on all nations? Would Alfred be sober enough to tell him what was going on? Hopefully his brother didn't drink too much last night. Some how Matthew knew his hopes were in vain. America was always drinking something. And Arthur would have been drinking, and Francis would have, and Gilbert would have... Then, thinking about the circumstances he had woken up in this morning, did he want to know what had happened last night...?
He inspected himself in the mirror. The Canadian was half-naked, dressed only in a pair of jeans he had found on the floor when he woke up. Luckily, he hadn't lost his glasses, perched on the bridge of his nose. Blue eyes surveyed his reflection as he ran his fingers through his dirty blond hair.
Gold reflected in the master bathroom's ornate mirror. From his third finger, he had some how managed to miss the shiny gold ring while scrubbing his face with cold water.
Then, something clicked in the back of his mind and his stomach gave a sickening twist. It wasn't a puzzle, it was about as straightforward as you can get, so why did he just stand there, staring at the ring? He finally mustered up the courage to leave the bathroom.
Clothing was strewn across the suite's floor. On his bed, draped in nothing but a bed sheet, still fast asleep, was Ukraine. Katyusha's platinum hair was a mess and wrapped around her pale, slender finger was a golden ring.