Disclaimer: Still not mine

Enjoy!

Je veux l'avoir, et je l'aurai (I Want to Have Him, and I Will Have Him)

ENDING #2

[…]

It was a good thing that he had the following things: a list of all of Matthew's addresses, and a trusty smartphone to give him directions.

Without them, Alfred would have otherwise been forced to give up on his quest, because Matthew was slippery without trying. Never mind when it was intentional.

Still, he worried. Matthew had always been his best bro, his weakness and his strength, the only one capable of making him cry. Him, America the Beautiful, and superpower of the world. The Land of Dreams. The capital-C Chief beacon of freedom and justice for the world.

And Canada, sweet 'innocent' Matthew, had perfected the art of getting his waterworks running. Which was understandable, were one to think about it: Matthew knew just what buttons to push. He knew just what to say to make it hurt, and to make matters worse, Matthew was one of the few people whose opinions mattered to Alfred. If not, the only person whose opinions mattered.

Because when it all came down to it, Matthew was like a gem in a sea of sands. He was America's main trading partner, and probably most important ally. The sole other nation he trusted to have his back when shit hit the fan. If Alfred were a school's jock, Matthew would be the quiet kid at the back of the classroom that no one talked about nor talked to, but ought to be batshit terrified of. Why? Because when things went horribly, terribly, South-in-a-hand-basket kind of wrong, America could (usually) always count on the Cold Front – the Final Frontier – to travel down from the North to restore what was exhausted. And of course, Alfred made an effort to help out when it was Matthew that needed saving, regardless of whether Matthew wanted him to or not (which was most often the former, 'cause Mattie was so damn stubborn).

Needless to say, a relationship of that kind was rare amongst nations. Alfred knew, in his heart of hearts, that he ought to feel grateful for being blessed with such a wonderful neighbour.

But as it stood… he was not. At least, not entirely.

Admittedly, he had always been the type to never be satisfied with what he already had. He always wanted more, even when there was nothing left to be given. Or, when it was unwilling to be given.

It was the latter case in regard to Matthew.


Canada's door was unlocked when Alfred happened upon it.

That was the third set of red flags. Or not, considering this was Canada. Tch, low crime rates, as his brother liked to boast about.

Regardless, America was both quiet and careful as he inched toward the threshold, not wanting to startle Matt out of whatever funk he was in.

It washed over him before he could take a full step through the door: the siren's song he had been missing for a little over two months now, the voice his ears had not recognized they needed until it was gone.

It came as a quiet sort of realization, the pieces of this never-ending puzzle falling perfectly into place.

The distance that had steadily grown between him and his twin, France's frustration, the guilt and emptiness he had been feeling as of late, it all dawned on him once he made his way inside.

Matthew's back was turned to him, thankfully. Too busy rinsing dishes to notice he was no longer alone.

The room was clean, smelling of warm maple cookies and everything else that so exquisitely represented his Canadian counterpart. Just like Alfred remembered it. How reassuring. He could not help the small smile that blossomed on his face.

Rarely did America keep mum; this was one of those moments that readily demanded it.

So, shoulder carefully resting against the door frame to Canada's kitchen, Alfred enjoyed his brother's impromptu singing session quietly.

(He wondered if Matthew was thinking of him, as he let those charming lyrics flow past his lips. He, himself, pretended Matthew was singing solely to him.)

It was only once the song was over, the last note slowly dying off, somewhat clinging to the air, that Matthew let on he had known of the presence behind him.

He kept his back to the superpower, slowly wiping a spoon.

"Tell me something, Al. Did you follow me here to talk, or just to creep on me while I had my back turned?"

Alfred's soul positively ached, knowing he could have had this in his life for far longer had he just realized sooner.

If only he had.

"Mattie… oh God, I'm so sorry," he cautiously stepped toward the Northerner, letting the reality of just how much this had been bothering him show on his face, in his eyes. "I'm so, so sorry."

When he was sufficiently close, Canada admitted quietly, "I'm not mad, you know."

"You're not?" The American was frowning suspiciously, stance uneasy. "Seriously?"

A sigh. "I'm not." Dishes now drying on the rack beside the sink, Matthew finally turned to face the other. He took in the apology shinning through those blue eyes he loved so much, the honesty. "I'm not. I wish I was, but I'm not. You're just so… frustrating, yet so artfully suave that I could never stay angry at you. Why can't you let me be angry?" He crossed his arms, scoffing, "And why are you even here, anyways? Shouldn't you be harassing Luxembourg or whoever? Asking him to sing for you with that 'sweet, honey-butter-cream-pie voice of his' or something?"

All Alfred could do was take a risk by bringing the other in for a hug, murmuring, "I'm here now, aren't I? It took me a while, but I'm here." He buried his face in the crook of Matthew's neck, nose rubbing against the skin there, "I missed you, Matt."

Things were going to be good, from now on.


Hours later, sitting amongst an outrageous pile of paperwork in his Paris office, one Francis Bonnefoy was smiling at a text he had just received:

«J'ai enfin réussi à le faire mien. Enfin. :)

Bises,

M.W. »


Ending #2

Translation:

'I finally got him to be mine. Finally.

Love,

– M.W.'

A/N: This is how I meant to originally end the story. Just a sort of quiet realization on Alfred's part, leading to the North Americans making up. Sweet comfort in as little words as possible. But I liked the way I wrote my two other endings as well, so I decided to keep all three. Hope you enjoyed.

Sending you all sweet maple-hugs from Canada,

~SHnM