A world conference! In his very own Toronto! In two days!

Matthew was so excited he couldn't sit still. He was at home in Ottawa, seated on the floor before his coffee table.. which was so laden with mountains of paperwork it threatened to collapse.

The little Canadian was typing madly at the keyboard of his laptop. There was still so much planning to do! A month to prepare just simply wasn't enough. Food and seating arrangements and hotel bookings and guided tours.. The prime minister offered to lend the skills of his personal secretary to Matthew to help him with all the arrangements.. but the Canadian had turned him down. He wanted to do this all by himself. He wanted every little detail of the conference to be just perfect.

"Bison and roasted fiddleheads for the conference luncheon.. What do you think, Al?" he stopped his typing long enough to glance up at his brother. The American was lounging out on the couch, dressed in his comfy jeans and a black hoodie. His eyes were fixated on the Canadian's television, a game controller in his hand. He was playing one of the games he always left at the Canadian's house. It was one of the latest, most awesome war games Alfred had said, but Matthew always thought they all looked exactly alike.

"Huh?" Alfred said distractedly, then paused his game to glance down at his brother on the floor. "What did you say, Mattie?"

"Bison and roasted fiddleheads for lunch. Does that sound ok?"

America rolled his eyes. He'd come there to visit Canada and spend time with him.. not hear the hundreds of details the little blond was planning for the world conference. "You're putting too much thought into this whole thing, dude. Just serve up some hamburgers and everyone'll be happy." He unpaused his game and opened fire on a tank in the distance. The livingroom was filled with the sounds of simulated explosions.

"Ew, no." Matthew crinkled his nose. He quickly keyed into his laptop that all McDonald's within a three mile radius of the conference location were to be closed down for the day. He didn't want the American dragging back greasy hamburgers and fries to eat instead of whatever he decided to have served at the meeting.

Alfred swore when another tank appeared on the screen and fired at him, killing his guy. He paused his game again, wishing he could convince his brother to play with him. It would be so much easier to complete the games mission with two people. "Hey, Mattie.. seriously. Put the laptop away and hang out with me, ok? You're dragging me down with all this work."

Matthew sighed. He typed out a few last thoughts, then saved his work and closed his laptop. He supposed it WAS time for a break. His stomach was growling. He pushed the coffee table away, careful not to topple any paper mountains, and pulled himself up onto the couch. Alfred shifted his position to give his little brother some room.

"That's better." the American grinned. He 'yawned' and stretched his arm out across the back of the couch behind Matthew's shoulders. It was Matthew's turn to roll his eyes this time. Ignoring Alfred, he reached for the plate of food he'd left on the side table beside his couch and began to nibble at it.

"So where are you planning on holding the conference, anyway? City hall?"

Matthew shook his head.

"The CN Tower."

"Woah, really?" Alfred knew about the CN Tower. Whenever he visited Canada he tried to get to Toronto to go there. It was once the worlds tallest freestanding structure. Canada was loath to lose that title to China's Canton Tower, and then Japan's Tokyo Skytree. The American still thought it was pretty cool tho, and loved jumping on the glass floor. "I didn't know there was conference space up there."

"There is." Matthew smiled. "And a really great fine dining restaurant. I think it'd make a great impression on everyone, eh? Maybe they'll start remembering who I am."

Alfred grinned down at his little brother, touched by the hopeful excitement on the Canadian's face. He doubted the conference would help anyone remember Canada, even if it was held far above the multi-cultural city of Toronto. The only reason anyone was talking about Matthew now was because of his relationship with Russia. But Alfred didn't want to dash the little Canadian's hopes.

"You betcha, Mattie." The American ruffled the his brother's hair. "Wine and dine 'em. Give 'em a day to remember."

"Oops.." Matthew set his food aside and stood up. "Al, can you pass me a serviette? I spilled my poutine on the chesterfield."

America gave him a blank stare. "What?"

Matthew blinked and realized what he'd said made no sense to his brother. "Er.. ah.. sorry. I meant.. can you pass me a napkin.. I spilled my fries with cheese and gravy on the couch."

Still staring at Canada as if he were crazy, America grabbed some tissues from the box on the end table next to him and handed them over. Matthew dabbed at the brown spot where he'd spilled the gravy. Once it was cleaned up, the little Canadian sat back down, picked up his plate and started nibbling again.

"Ugh, I dunno how you can eat that stuff." Alfred turned his nose up at what his brother was eating. It looked like a big pile of cheesy brown crud to him. Matthew shrugged, munching away.

"It's good."

Later, once Matthew had finished his poutine, the brothers were playing a game together. The little Canadian asked the American to turn off the war game and switch to his Wii instead. Alfred had tried to convince him to play Smash Brothers, but Matthew insisted on Mario Kart. It was his favourite game. He was really good at it too, tho not quite as good as Alfred. It didn't seem to matter what video game they tried.. Alfred was always better. It had been that way since they were very young.

"Soooo.." Alfred said, twisting his wheel to make a sharp turn on one of the snow levels. The slippery ice in the game made his kart spin out of control. "Does Ivan play this with you?"

Matthew's kart was only a few seconds behind Alfred. He used his mushroom to dash ahead while the American was spun out.

"No.. he's not really into games."

"Aww. Too bad. How about movies? You guys snuggle up together to watch movies?"

"No, he doesn't like watching movies that much either."

"Serious?" Alfred glanced sideways at his brother, giving him an odd look. He drove over a jump and caught up to Matthew's kart. He fired a red shell and the Canadian was blasted over the side of a cliff. "You must be pretty bored whenever he comes to visit."

Matthew smirked, both at the comment and at having to wait for the cloud koopa to drop his kart back onto the track so he could keep going. Alfred was doing it again.. starting an 'innocent' conversation about his relationship with the Russian. Whenever he did this it turned into an argument and the Canadian eventually ended up telling his brother to get out and go home.

"We do other stuff together. We talk and laugh and go outside." We have crazy awesome sex that can last all night.. Matthew blushed at the thought.

"I just don't get what you see in him, Mattie." said Alfred, leaning with his wheel as he rounded another corner. He was well into his third lap and far ahead of the Canadian. "He's an oversized brute. He's crazy and has a bad temper."

"Al, please don't." Matthew sighed. His kart slipped on a banana, spinning out again.

"What does he even have to offer you anyway? Trees and oil? You've already got all that.. way more than him, even."

America crossed the finish line. He'd won the race. The poor Canadian didn't even come close to being second. Frustrated, Matthew put his steering wheel down. It was like this every time his brother came to visit.

"Maybe I just like his company, eh? Did you think of that? Maybe I'm attracted to him and want to be with him just because.. I want to?"

Alfred tossed his wheel to the floor and turned to look at Matthew as tho he had two heads and both of them were insane.

"He's got a big nose! And a fat ass. You can do so much better, Mattie."

It wasn't true and Alfred knew it. Ivan wasn't fat. He was just.. big. And muscular. He'd seen the Russian's naked body for himself while hiding in Matthew's hotel room closet. He had to admit to himself that if circumstances were different.. America would be attracted to Ivan too. But he'd never admit that to the little Canadian.

Matthew was rubbing his temples as if he had a horrible headache coming on. His hair had come loose from it's tie and was falling around his face. America resisted the urge to brush it back into place. He knew he'd already pushed his luck a little bit too far. Any attempt at copping some feels might result in a smack across the face.

"Go home, Alfred. Just.. go home."

Alfred was about to protest when the Canadian's cellphone started to ring. Matthew took it from where it was resting on the coffee table and answered with a soft 'hello?'. When the younger blond's face lit up in a look of happiness America knew who was on the other end of the line.

"Ivan! How are you? You're not too busy with Olympic stuff right now?"

Alfred could hear the Russian's voice muffled in the receiving end of his brother's phone. The little Canadian cradled the cell to his cheek lovingly, as tho it were Ivan himself. It made America want to puke.

"I'm glad to hear things are going well," Matthew smiled.

A muffled question.

"Me? Oh, I'm just playing a game with Al."

Another muffled question, this one sounding irritated and angry. Alfred smirked to himself. He knew it broiled the Russian's blood whenever he was alone with Canada. That might just be why the American tended to drop in on little Matthew much more frequently these days. Canada might be closely allied with Russia now, but America was still right next door. And with Alaska blocking the way, it was like Alfred had an arm permanently around his little brother, shielding him. It drove Ivan mad and America knew it.

"It's ok, Ivan.. He was just getting ready to leave anyway."

Alfred eyed his brother and a menacing grin stole over his face. He scooted in close and wrapped his arm around the little Canadian's shoulder. Matthew's eyes went wide when his brother brought his face in close, as if for a kiss.

"I.. I can't wait to see you.." Matthew's voice wavered. He pushed his hand against Alfred's face to try and keep him away. America rested his other hand on Canada's thigh. "Only two days to go and y-you're here!"

Alfred's hand spider-walked it's way up Matthew's leg, closer and closer.. until the little blond slapped him away. He laughed nervously into the phone as he shoved his brother off and stood up to walk away. Still, Alfred could hear the Russian's accented muffles, sounding dangerous and suspicious.

"It's nothing, Ivan.. just Al getting ready to go is all." He glared at America, and Alfred couldn't help himself but laugh. He put his hands up in surrender and stood with a stretch. He began gathering up his things. He packed his clothes and a couple of the games he'd brought with him, as well as his favourite pillow. Phooie. Matthew didn't let him sleep in the same bed with him anymore. America was forced to bunk out on the couch.

When he was packed, Matthew showed him to the door, with Ivan still nestled at his ear on the phone. Alfred couldn't help himself.. he pulled his brother into a tight hug. He buried his nose into the little blond's hair and breathed in his scent. He really did miss Canada. It was true what they said.. you don't know what you've got until you don't have it anymore. He'd give just about anything to have Canada again, all to himself.

"Farewell my little Mattiekins." He grinned, loudly kissing the top of the Canadian's head. He laughed when he heard the Russian start to swear into the phone. Matthew shoved him out the door and slammed it behind him. With a deep breath of regret, Alfred strolled out into the Canadian evening in search of a taxi to take him to the airport to head home.

"I.. am going.. to kill.. the American." Russia was beside himself with rage. Matthew could hear the phone casing starting to crack beneath the pressure Ivan must be squeezing it with, crushing it with his hand.

"I'm sorry, Ivan! Please calm down.. he's just trying to get a rise out of you. Really! There's nothing to worry about."

Matthew cringed as he listened to various smashing sounds on the other side of the line. Well.. he had to admit that Alfred was right about Ivan's bad temper. But it was Alfred's fault for goading the Russian. He was going to get himself killed one of these days.

Eventually all the smashing and crashing calmed down a bit.. and he listened as Ivan picked up the phone from wherever it had been thrown.

"Matvey.." Ivan's voice was soft again, calm, but Matthew could hear the tension behind it. "I am.. sorry. I have been.. under stress."

Matthew's heart ached for the man he loved. Ivan was working so hard to get ready for the Olympics. He and Matthew had their need to impress the world in common. Canada wanted to be noticed and appreciated. Russia wanted to be impressive and liked.

"I know.." the little Canadian said softly, "I'm sorry. I wish I was there with you now."

"I wish this, also." Ivan sighed. "Two days, and I will have my Matvey back in my arms where he belongs."

Matthew smiled, imagining being wrapped up in the Russian's strong arms and surrounded by his earthy scent. He still kept Russia's scarf. He slept with it on the nights he had to spend by himself, tho it had lost Ivan's smell long ago.

"I love you, Ivan." he whispered the words.

"And I you, my little Canada."

They disconnected the call and Matthew put his cellphone aside with a lonely sigh. He scooped up Kumajiro from the spot he'd been snoozing on on the floor and decided that now was a good time to just head to bed. He'd finish the rest of his conference preparation tomorrow.


Ok, I lied. I guess I can't take my time, lol. Yay for chapter 2! It's a shortie tho, so I guess it's ok. And I couldn't help but through some Canadianism in there. :p Hope no one minds.