And it's time for the next chapter! Enjoy!

Hetalia belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya!

Chapter 4 : Awkward Attraction

By the time Gilbert had got his supplies, clothes for Birdie and arranged for the optician to determine the prescription of Birdie's glasses and order a new pair, Birdie was out of x-ray and, fortunately, his arm needed just a little realigning (But it was still painful) and was now in a cast.

"Here's your glasses back, Birdie," he said, giving the Canadian his cracked glasses back. "The new pair will be ready in a week or two."

"Thanks, Gil," Birdie replied as he put the broken glasses back on.

"So how is he, Doc?"

"He'll need rest and time for his ribs to heal," the doctor advised. "No lifting anything!"

"What about my memory?" Birdie asked. "Will I ever get it back?"

"The signs are good," the doctor replied. "Despite the head injury, I think you're suffering from Repressed Memory which has a psychological cause rather than a physical one. For some reason, you don't want to remember but people partially or completely recover from this. The best thing is to give it time and don't try to force it. The smallest thing can trigger a memory so let it come naturally." Gil held up a bundle of packages in brown paper.

"Got ya some new clothes, Birdie," he said in his fake American accent. "They're a similar size to mine so they might be slightly big but they should fit enough."

"I'll leave you to get dressed," the doctor replied and left. Birdie went to get off the bed and gasped in pain. Gilbert went to help him but it was a tentative sit up with Birdie clearly hurting.

"You can't get dressed by yourself, Birdie," Gil commented. "You won't be able to bend down. I'll have to help you." For some reason, Birdie found himself blushing at the idea of Gilbert putting the pants he had bought on him. Clad only in underwear, Birdie sat on the bed with his legs dangling over the side while Gil opened a package and pulled out a shirt, helping Birdie into it. It was a cream colour and nearly a good fit. Birdie buttoned it up while Gil took some socks out of another package and put them on Birdie's feet so they would not get cold when Birdie put his feet on the floor and then Gil pulled out some black trousers.

Birdie blushed again as Gil moved his feet into the legs of the pants and began to pull them up until he reached the bed and Gil had to help Birdie off it. He put his arm around Birdie's uninjured side and eased him off the bed. As he came off the bed, Birdie cried out as his side was jolted and he fell against Gilbert.

Suddenly, they were eye-to-eye and a soft blush coated Gilbert's pale cheeks as he realised, now he was close to Birdie while he was conscious, just how cute this guy was. Those eyes of an unusual violet hue, pale skin, but not as pale Gil's, and soft, pinkish-brown lips that drew Gil's eyes.

Birdie stared into the red orbs of his saviour and found that Gil's unusual looks drew Birdie to him. Gil was quite handsome and Birdie blushed at his thoughts and the sensation of being held by another man. Then he realised that he was leaning against said man with his trousers around his thighs and he eased himself away so he could pull the trousers up the rest of the way and fastened them.

Gil let Birdie stand on his own and adjust his new clothing while Gil chided himself for his reaction to Birdie. He could not think of getting involved with anyone now, he could go at any time. He could not think of bringing Birdie into his life, even if Birdie would even consider a relationship with a man. Gil did not know what Birdie would think about that.

To hide his blush, Gil took out the black shoes he had bought, putting them on the floor and Birdie stepped into them while Gil tied the laces and then he stood up and pulled out the last item, a red jumper. Gil did not know why he chose red, it just seemed to suit Birdie.

There was a knock on the door and Gil gave permission to come in. The doctor opened the door and smiled.

"All right ….. Birdie, is that the name you're using right now?" he asked. Birdie looked at Gil.

"That's what he started calling me," he explained.

"Better than 'hey you', I suppose," the doctor commented. "Well Birdie, I would like you to come back in six weeks to get your ribs checked and the cast removed. Where will you be staying?"

"Well ….." Birdie looked at Gilbert uncertainly. Gilbert froze for a moment. He could vanish at a moment's notice and taking Birdie in permanently might not be doing the injured man any favours, he might be better off elsewhere but where would he go? He had no memory of his home so there was nowhere else for Birdie to stay.

"He can stay with me," he said. "It would be unawesome for me to turn away an injured man."

"Good!" the doctor smiled again. "I'll see you in six weeks then."

Gilbert helped Birdie to the truck and eased him into the passenger seat then got into the driver's seat and began the journey home.

"So," Birdie said. "Are you going to tell why you were speaking with a different accent and using a different name?" Gilbert sighed.

"Do you remember the war?" he asked.

"The war?"

"World War II," Gilbert replied. "Between the Axis and the Allies." Birdie thought about it. It sounded familiar but what it meant was locked in Birdie's fuzzy memory.

"Something rings a bell," he replied. "But I can't quite recall."

"Well, I'm Pru …... from Prussia," Gilbert almost slipped up and told Birdie that he was actually the country rather than a native of it. He would have to watch that. "It's been abolished now but Prussia was part of the Axis and we lost the war four years ago. Perhaps it was for the best, Germany's boss was one seriously unawesome messed-up genocidal madman. Well, anyway, Canada was part of the Allies and anyone Germanic is not exactly welcome in countries that were part of the Allies so I pretend to be American and use the name Smith instead of Beilschmidt for a quiet life." Gilbert did not like to think about those years under the control of Germany's boss who did not like Prussia because his albinism did not fit his 'vision'. Which was fine because Gilbert had not like him but, as a nation, had to obey him when he fell under the control of his brother's boss. But nobody knew about his more clandestine activities during the war. If Germany's boss had found out …..

That did not bare thinking about!

"If Germans, or Prussians are not welcome," Birdie asked. "Why come here?" Gilbert sighed again.

"It's complicated, Birdie," he replied. "The short story is someone will be looking for me and this is the last place he would think of."

"Did you do something bad to this man?"

"Nein," Gil said. "But it's best that he doesn't find me, for his own sake." Birdie sensed that Gil did not want to talk about this any more.

"I won't tell anyone, Gil," he said. "About your true nationality. I don't know what you did in the war but you were probably just fighting for your country."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because you called Germany's leader a 'seriously unawesome, messed-up, genocidal madman'," Birdie smiled. "So I concluded that you were fighting for your country and not the regime in charge." Gil smiled back.

"Ja," he replied. "In their way and my own."

The train pulled into Ottawa and passengers spilled out on to the platforms, including an American, a Brit, a Frenchman and a Dutchman. Arthur hoisted his bag on to his shoulder as he looked round.

"All right," he said. "First things first. Let's establish some facts, America, you said that he definitely arrived here."

"Yeah," he replied. "His passport was checked at the border and his truck was collected yesterday. After that, he wasn't seen." Arthur hummed.

"Perhaps Alfred could try calling Matthew's housekeeper again," Lars suggested. "To make sure he hasn't made it home while we were on the train. In the meantime, we could talk to the train station staff and find out what they know."

"Good idea, mon ami," Francis agreed. "Arthur, you and I should go talk to the staff while Lars goes to the garage where Matthew leaves his truck when he comes to World Meetings in America and talk to the owner." Matthew had a special arrangement with a local garage who looked after his truck until he returned. Lars nodded and Francis told him the address of the garage and he left while Alfred went to find a phone. Francis and Arthur looked at each other.

"Well, Frog." Arthur said. "Let the search begin."

Gilbird tweeted at his owner and his guest as they came through the door, Gil assisting Birdie and Gilbird flew to land in Gilbert's hair.

"Yes, my awesome little friend," Gil greeted his pet. "We're back and Birdie's been patched up. He'll be staying with us for a while as our awesome guest." Gilbird chirped his opinion and Birdie smiled at the little bird as he flew and landed on Birdie's cast.

"Gilbird approves," Gil quipped.

"Thank you, Gilbird," Birdie replied as Gil helped him ease down onto the couch that Birdie had slept on last night which made Gil think about sleeping arrangements. Sleeping on the couch again was not an option for Birdie with his injuries so it looked like he would have the bed while Gil took the couch. Well, he had slept in, and on, worst places.

"Gilbird, you take care of our guest," he said. "I'm just going to bring the supplies in." He gave Birdie a parting grin and went back outside.

At the back of his truck. Gil organised the supplies in piles to take them into the house while thinking about what he had taken on. First, he had Gilbird to worry about and now he had taken responsibility for this injured, Canadian human. What would happen to this guy if he suddenly faded away without trace or just died. Maybe he himself had become an ordinary human, that was the best case scenario. Then he would not have to worry about leaving Birdie or Gilbird alone but that was the problem, he just did not know and then there was Birdie himself. Gilbert was not fooling himself about what happened in the hospital. They had a moment and he could see it in Birdie's eyes that he knew it too.

Could it be that Birdie was of that persuasion? But even if he was, Gil did not think it was a good idea to start anything with this guy with his future so uncertain. If he could be sure he was not going to fade or expire at any moment then ….. maybe.

He put the other clothes he had gotten for Birdie on top of the beer he had bought and carried the pile into the house.

Birdie watched Gil leave the house and pondered his unlikely saviour. Despite being told that, four years ago, their two prospective countries had been enemies, he felt no resentment toward Gil. It could be because he did not remember the war or that Gil had been just one man in an entire military force or maybe it was just his nature to let things lie once they were concluded, he did not know. He just trusted his instincts that Gil was a good man.

That moment in the hospital confused him. When Gil looked into his eyes, Birdie's heart began pounding, he could not stop blushing and he felt attracted to Gil! Was it normal to be attracted to someone of your own gender and how would Gil react if he realised how Birdie was beginning to feel around him? Would he turn away in disgust? Or was this just some kind of Saviour Complex? Perhaps it would be better if he keep his feelings to himself until he was sure.

Gilbert came back through the door, carrying what looked like a crate of beer with brown parcels and took them into the kitchen. Then he came back.

"You can take the bedroom, Birdie," he said. "I'll sleep on the couch."

"But, Gil," Birdie protested. "This is your house, it's your bed!"

"You're hurt, Birdie," Gil replied. "You can't sleep on the couch with your ribs in the state they're in. You're taking the bed, no arguments!" Birdie began to protest again but Gil just went back out to the truck to get the other supplies and Birdie smiled. Gil was a considerate guy, no matter how much he tried to hide with his arrogant talk of 'being awesome' and now he was giving up his bed to an injured man. Maybe his attraction to Gil had something to it after all.

Ludwig was going to go through everyone again to see they had found any sight of Gilbert and the first person he tried was Spain. That was when he heard the clicking noise on the line and, while a lot of people might not understand what that meant, Ludwig had been under surveillance by his former boss enough to know that his phone had been tapped. It could be any one of the Allies countries but Ludwig's money was on Ivan. Discovering that Prussia had become East Germany had been a mixed blessing. Yes, it meant that his bruder was not going to die but, because control of the landmass had been given to Russia, it meant Gilbert fell under Ivan's control and Ivan wanted his new territory's personification. Ludwig wanted to find Gilbert to give him the good news that he was not going to die but also to tell him to stay hidden because, if he was found, he would belong to Ivan.

"Hola!" Antonio's voice called down the phone. Ludwig would have to been careful about what he said.

"Guten tag," he replied. "It's Ludwig. Have you had any sign of Gilbert yet?"

"Lo siento, Ludwig," Antonio told him. "I've been searching but I don't think Gilbert's anywhere in Spain. I'll keep looking, though."

"Danke," Ludwig said. "It was a long shot anyway. Sorry I bothered you, Antonio."

"No problem, amigo," Antonio replied. "I miss him too!"

"Auf Wiedersehen!"

"Adiós!" the call ended. Ludwig phoned a few other people who he knew would have no news of Gilbert then he gave up. Those he thought might have news, he would contact them in person and warn them not to relay anything they find by phone but to come to him directly.

He would protect his bruder.

There had some attempt by Germany to find Prussia but to Ivan, it seemed half-hearted as if part of Ludwig did not really want to find Prussia. Ludwig wanted to deny Ivan his rightful due but he would fail. Sooner or later, Prussia would be in his hands.

Alfred returned with the news that Matthew still had not returned home. The station staff remembered Matthew because he seemed very angry about something but they did not know where he went after leaving the station. Lars returned from the garage with his own news.

"The garage-owner said Matthew came for his truck late yesterday afternoon," he relayed. "He was concerned about Matthew driving home because the weather forecast predicted a snowstorm coming but Matthew wouldn't listen. The garage-owner thought that Matthew was upset about something and didn't want to hang around." Arthur gave a guilty sigh while Francis looked away in embarrassment.

"Mattie drove into the storm because he was angry," Alfred replied, distressed. "If he arrived here late afternoon, he should have gotten of home by now, even if he had to stop. That's it, something must have happened! Something's wrong!"

"I hate to agree but I think Alfred's right," Arthur said. "We must now assume that something has happened to Matthew."

"So what do we do now, mon amis," Francis asked. Arthur squared his shoulders.

"We go for help," he replied. "To the one person who can help us most. We're going to see Matthew's boss, the Prime Minster of Canada!"

So Lars and the FACE family are going to the very top for assistance and Gil and Birdie are starting to like each other but, for different reasons, are fighting it. Let's see how long that lasts!

To Zen3465 – Thank you! More you shall get! ;)

To Canawesomeguest – Yep! And here's another one! Ivan still after Gilbert but at least Ludwig's on to him and there'll be more interaction coming! ;)

The Canadian government joins the search for their personification and Gilbert begins to notice some unusual things about his Canadian 'human'.

More next week,

Hasta la Pasta!