"Okay, keep my awesomeness." Prussia let out a deep sigh. "This is going to be easy."

"Vhy do you keep talking to yourself, bruder?" Berlin glanced up at him.

"I'm going to do something I never thought I could."

Berlin stroked Gilbird's head before holding him up to her big brother. Prussia smiled and took him in one hand while patting her head with the other.

"Watch the house. Old Man Fritz will be here too, so you won't be alone." He looked behind her at the king, who smiled gently at the both of them.

"Ja! I know." She grinned.

"Prussia, are you ready?" Germany called.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Prussia replied and kissed Berlin's forehead.

Germany waited with Kyrussia at the open front door while Prussia took his dear time stumbling over his own feet. Prussia saw his little brother's expression and tried to cover up.

"I'm just excited zhat I'll be able to go out for something other than meetings. Right Kyrussia? You drink too, right?"

She didn't answer him and had her back turned to him. Prussia felt his heart sink a little, but shrugged it off. So she was still mad at him big deal. At least, hopefully, Hungary will be in a better mood. She'd have to be if she invited him to have a drink for his awesome victory. Right?

That's what he hoped as he sat in the passenger's seat, Kyrussia in the back and Germany in the drivers. The golden rays had already begun to lower into the clouds and kissed the land goodnight. Prussia closed his eyes as he imagined him and Hungary finally together sharing their very first kiss.

"I don't want you fighting vith Austria, do you hear me?" Germany said sternly.

That broke Prussia's happy thoughts into millions of pieces and he clenched his fist. That little baby girl man boy was going to be there too, just great.

"He doesn't drink, does he?"

"Not zhat I've seen, but he probably doesn't want to stay at zhe house alone."

"Typical stupid aristocrat." Prussia mumbled.

"Hey now, be nice." Germany warned.

Prussia turned in his seat and peered back at Kyrussia, who sat silently. Pouting slightly he poked her leg.

"Oi! Vhy are you so quiet? You aren't sick are you?"

She didn't answer. He sat forward and crossed his arms when Germany whispered to him.

"Remember vhy we are celebrating. Zhis is probably not very comfortable for her."

"Ja ja." Prussia dismissed him.

"I'm serious. Tonight I also want you to at least sympathize vith her. Don't go doing anything you'll regret."

"I don't know if I'll regret it if I don't try, bruder."

Germany shook his head as he brought the car to a stop. Once the three of them were out they proceeded towards the illuminated entrance. Prussia took this short opportunity to prepare himself further and brushed his hand through his hair. He side glanced at Kyrussia and reached over to swipe a flyaway strand of hair from her face.

"Zhere, you look better."

She walked faster and was the first to enter the bar. Was that a tint of pink he saw on her cheeks? He didn't have time to figure it out because before he knew it they were greeted with clinking glasses and the strong odor of alcohol. He took a deep breath and smiled.

"I missed this place."

"Hey Ludwig! Over here!"

The brothers searched over the crowds for the voice and found Hungary already at a table. Germany walked forward, but saw that Prussia didn't move a muscle and had to practically pushed him over to where they were. Prussia resisted with all his might, but found that his little brother was too strong. He dragged his feet and tried to stall his arrival until he stood before her with his heart beating a thousand miles a second.

"It's great you guys could make it." She smiled.

"We're glad to have been able to." Germany answered.

Hungary looked up at Prussia and continued to smile warmly at him.

"Look, I'm sorry about what happened earlier today. I guess I got a little frustrated. What do you say we put that behind us and have a good time?" She held out her hand to him.

"O-okay yeah. Zhis is going to be awesome!" He took her slim hand in his shaking one and shook weakly.

"Cool! Austria is over there getting us some drinks, so go on ahead and sit down."

They took the invitation and Prussia unconsciously pulled out the chair for Kyrussia. When she stared into his eyes he did his best to hold back a habitual hostile spark that always burned between them. Finally she sat down and took his seat after he pushed her in.

Hungary had noticed his kind gesture. "I see you're finally getting along for once."

Prussia mentally kicked himself and put on a trembling grin.

"It's only for tonight."

She stared at him, seeming to have sensed his act, but before she could answer Austria had returned with four glasses.

"Sorry, it's getting really busy so they said they'll call us when they have an available mug."

"It's fine." Hungary's smiled lit up even more than Prussia had ever seen. "We won't mind having one of us share."

"I could share with you, Hungary." Prussia eagerly offered.

"I don't think so, Mr. Drinks-a-Lot. I want to at least have a sip before its all gone. Why don't you share with Kyrussia or Germany?"

Strike one. Prussia nodded and looked to Kyrussia.

"Germany doesn't know how to share when it comes to beer, so do you wanna...I don't know...split one with me?"

Their crimson eyes met once again and the venom appeared to have lessened. With a slight smirk she nodded in agreement.

"Sure, but I have to warn you if you want to have a taste of it you better do it now before I drink it all for you."

"Don't worry I can do zhat easy."

From there they took turns drinking the beer from the single glass while the others had their own. Germany put his cup down with a hearty clank and looked to Austria.

"I didn't think you'd be able to hold your own, Roderich."

"I can't, but I didn't want Eliza to wait her by herself so I decided that it can't hurt to come along. Even if it meant I had to drink."

"You didn't have to." Hungary spoke up.

"Oh but I did. I don't want to look awkward for sitting here with nothing in front of me."

"You look awkward just being here." Prussia snickered.

"Prussia! What did I tell you?" Germany snapped.

"It was just a joke!"

"Calm down now, no need to get all riled up." Hungary stepped in and turned her attention to Kyrussia. "How have things been for you? I hope everything is running smoothly."

Kyrussia snapped her head up, caught off guard by the question.

"It's been...fine. So far so good I guess."

"Prussia hasn't been too much of a dick to you, has he? He can be a bit unreasonable sometimes." She gave him a look.

"We have our moments." Was all she said.

"Well if he gives you any trouble you can always call me. I'll be over in a heart beat to give him what for." For some reason Prussia felt she wasn't joking.

A few drinks later (6 more to be exact) Prussia finally felt ready. While Germany, Austria and Kyrussia were busy chatting, he got up from his seat and went over to Hungary's side.

"Hungary can I talk with you?"

She lifted her chin up to him. "I guess."

They snuck through the crowds and outside where it was quiet and so they could be alone. Hungary felt a black hole in her stomach, but effectively hid it with a simple question.

"What did you need to talk about?"

Prussia shoved his hands in his pockets and kicked a rock with the toe of his boot, but didn't say anything. His mind reeled wildly, but the words were jumbled in different variations of how to say them. His heart thumped in his chest and suddenly leaped into his throat. His mouth got dry and his palms, even though it was a chilly night, were sweaty.

He felt for his phone and fumbled around with it. His knees got weak and soon his whole body was trembling like a leaf in the wind. His cheeks burned with shyness and he shut his eyes tightly. In his mind he had the wish to disappear. All the while Hungary stood wondering what was wrong with him. In a quiet voice she repeated her question.

"What was it you needed to talk to me about?"

Prussia took a deep breath and held it for a while before letting his heart decide what to say for him. As he let it go the words rode on the air.

"Hungary, we've known each other for a very long time. I remember vhen we would catch wild horses und race them across the valley. We used to be close friends, closer zhan we are now. As a kid you were fun to hang around. I'm glad I could help protect your home, even though you gave me a beating for not following orders.

"But zhen Austria came und broke vhat we had. I didn't go to your wedding because I was too busy, I couldn't go because I didn't want to watch you slip away from me. To be honest, I hate zhe way he would taunt me und zhen have a smug look on his face after you vould get after me for telling him off. I can't stand him und I don't want to try.

"Now zhat you two aren't together I feel I finally have a chance at love. I guess what I'm trying to say is," Prussia turned his entire body to her and looked her in the eyes, "Ich liebe dich, Elizabeta."

Nothing could be seen in her emerald eyes. Not shock nor happiness nor anger, nothing. They were blank as the cold breeze that stirred up the air. A while of utter silence and she smiled at him.

"I can't say I'm not surprised, but then again I can't say anything to that."

"Vhat do you mean?" Reality was finally settling in.

"I know you poured your heart out into that little speech, I really do, and I never knew you were capable of such emotions. That was the biggest shock I got out of it."

"Nein." He whispered to himself. Gravity weighed heavier on his shoulders.

"But I sort of found someone and even though we're not together anymore we still have feelings for each other. I mean, I still do anyways. I'm sorry if I didn't tell you when you asked, but if I did it would have spoiled our picnic."

"Nein!" He repeated louder. Tears welled up in his eyes.

"I know you might not like Austria. To be honest the real reason why I asked the three of you out here is so I could try to get you with Kyrussia. I thought if maybe I could have you like her even a little there could a chance you could be happy too. I wanted the two of you to get along because obviously we are not able to."

A lump in his throat stopped him from saying anymore.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is that I can't return your feelings. I'm sorry." Without another word Hungary left him out alone in the dark.

Prussia couldn't believe what he just heard. All the time he took getting ready and he didn't even get a kiss. For this far he was able to hold in the tears, but now they were just waiting for him to break. The yellow light returned as the door opened again and he looked up hoping it was Hungary having changed her mind, but it wasn't. Instead Kyrussia stood in the doorway.

"Germany's wondering where you were, so he sent me to find-"

"It's all your fault! If you hadn't come here this wouldn't have happened." He shouted. "I wish I had never saved you! I wish you were just gone!"

He swerved around and marched back to the car with tears streaming down his face. By the time he got into his seat he was sobbing uncontrollably. Hungary let him down in the softest way possible, but it wasn't soft enough to stop his heart from breaking. Once he came into terms with what he recently did, his cries got worse. His world began to decay, slowly but surely. Everything Germany told him...

He was right. Putting out that fire does hurt the worst.