My eyes slowly drifted open. How long had I been asleep? Liz wasn't banging on my door…everything was eerily quiet. But I knew whose strong arm was wrapped around my waist without having to think about it.

That familiar scent of tea and the faintest smell of burned scones.

Arthur nuzzled my neck gently in his sleep but that didn't stop me from pulling away. I knew he'd awaken but he said nothing. Suddenly being unable to stand being in the same room with him, I threw on a coat and left him alone in the dorm watching me clueless and stupidly.

I wanted to see someone. Speak to someone. Someone specific. Who was it?

"Chelle?" The oh-so-familiar voice of accented flourish and sweet like honey poured down my ears like verbal silk.

I blinked twice. Why was I at Francis' dorm again? I had just been walking…

"Francis who's at the door~?" Another accented voice called from inside, not that I paid much attention…I was busy looking into his sea-blue eyes. When had they ever been icy…?

"What are you doing here?" His voice was kind, almost inviting.

My voice caught in my throat and no matter how many times I opened my mouth nothing would come out. "I…" was all I managed before a quick, whispered "W-wrong dorm…" And I ran away. What the HELL was I thinking somewhere in my subconscious?

What was going on? God…I hated Arthur for doing this to me…I hated Francis for starting this… I hated—

"Oh…" Left my lips and I nervously stumbled backwards tucking some of my bangs behind my ear as I ran straight into someone's chest.

"Victoria?" Came the kindest voice I'd heard in what felt like a century. How long had it been since we'd been alone? I found myself thinking of that day he'd told me to be with Arthur.

"M-Matt! Sorry…what are you doing out so early?"

"I like to take morning walks alone…to clear my head…" He smiled, his cowlick bobbing a little in the slight breeze of the crisp morning air. It was still rather dark out…"Are you all right?" He cocked his head. "You seem upset…"

"I am upset…I'm a total idiot. " I whimpered, feeling the lump begin to grow in my throat.

"What? What are you talking about? You're not an idiot…"

"Yes I am! Damn it…I keep falling for the same two people who keep hurting me. Yes, I said TWO people, Matt. Because I can't seem to be able to bury my feelings for Francis! Even after all of that happened!" A few tears began to line my eyes.

The Canadian boy sighed and pulled me into a tight hug, nuzzling my hair like an elder brother would, and I wrapped my arms tightly around his waist.

"Vic…You're not the only girl who was fallen prey to the tricks those two have to offer…you're just one of the few who get those tricks at the same time as each other." He kissed my forehead as I looked up at him, having left a few tear stains on his red hoodie. " It's hard to let people you love go…especially when they make it no easier, by flirting and apologizing and saying those three words you don't want to, but need to hear."

And that's what made me lose it. Because he was inexplicably and completely right. I didn't even take a second to question how he knew so much or why he would waste his time to comfort me if he wanted to clear his head. I just clung and cried into his sweatshirt.

"The more my heart breaks….the more I miss them." I whispered.

"Victoria Michelle!" Came an angry voice I was used to hearing…just it was much less often directed at me.

"Liz! Oh hi~, Gotta get to class n—owowow!" My topic change and ditch didn't work as I was grabbed by the wrist roughly and dragged into a janitors closet in the side of the hall. Of course…Liz and I shared a dorm…there was no way Arthur could have gone unnoticed by her eye. Knowing her she'd taken pictures as well.

"Care to explain?" She snapped, long brunette hair falling forward over her shoulder gracefully.

"…Explain what?" I offered.

She wanted to hit me. If it'd been someone else she probably would have. The look in her eye told me as much. "Victoria…tell me…now."

I took a deep breath and told her every detail. Every thought and image…down to the scent of maple syrup on Matthew's sweatshirt.

For a moment she just blinked at me before rubbing her temples. "Vic….sometimes I wish you would just say no."

"do you think I don't want to? It's…this damned thing…" I tugged at the dog collar around my neck.

"Then Take. It. Off."

"I can't ." I whimpered. "I just…I can't."

"Then I'll do it for you."

"N-no! Liz-"

Before I could deny her access to my neck, my skin felt particularly free, comfortable. Elizaveta smirked and spun the collar around her index finger. "Just learn to oppose him…them. Both of them. Stand up for yourself more. You've done it before…what's changed now?"

"Victoria Michelle, to the library please?" could be heard from the speaker in the hall.

A bitter smile crept upon my lips. "Duty calls…"

"A perfect chance to get started." Hungary pressed, pushing me out the door. "Go. Just say no." She hissed once more before trotting down the hall, a particularly happy spring in her step that hadn't been there when I was being violently dragged.

"Victoria…" The British teen started.

"Your tea is almost ready, sir." I snapped. It was almost like old times…back when I admired him from afar and thought him untouchable. Back when love hurt less and puppy love was all I wanted.

"Don't be like that! I didn't bloody do anything!"

"I'm still mad at you. I don't give a flying fuck if you 'apologized' by kissing and hugging me. It's not enough."

"What do you expect of me then?" His eye twitched a bit at my unladylike language and the corner of my mouth twitched upward a bit into a very small smirk.

"I want something I'll never get from you. That's another thing you and Francis have in common, I'll never get it from either of you. A real apology." I slammed the tray of tea down on the table in front of him spilling but a drop out of the pot. "Pour your own damn tea." And I walked briskly out the door, grinning. Liz wanted me to say no? I'll say no. And I must say, it felt pretty nice to say no for once.

"Victoria…" A low, almost dangerous voice came from the older teen who was now holding my wrist in a vice-like grip. "Where is your collar?"

A/N: hey. pssst. hey lookie. lookie. I forced a chapter out of my dead muse! :D

...I felt very obligated to do this...cos recently... Ive had one person ask me if i was dead, two people cry cos i havent ocntinued yet, and one person producea very threatening seeming dark aura ^^; I ASSURE YOU I AM ALIVE.

I've been struggling with maintaining my love for hetalia, and therefore struggling to also maintain my muse for fanfics ect. Not to mention my mind is so cluttered with fandoms and fanfic ideas outside of hetalia its not even funny. you guys have no clue how many fanfics have filled my notebooks that you guys will probably NEVER lay eyes on...though... if anyones interested in Loveless, -Man, Vampire Knight, or 07-Ghost fanfics I have some/ im working on some, so if youd like to read, lemme know and I'll start typing them up~~~ :D

...Yeah...this is what I did instead of my european history hw...close enough right~~?

I'm so sorry for being gone for...i think the threatening review said 3 months? THREE WHOLE MONTHS? and not giving you fans ANYTHING? O.o I'm worse than the updates of the Loveless manga...okay I'm not. but still. Especially cos I left you guys w/ such a cliff hangar... guess what? YOU GET ANOTHER ONE~ yay~~~ :D trollololol

Yeah...I've really been focusing on my cosplay for the most part. for my kind of comes second to my YT and my DA

DEVWATCH me and SUBSCRIBE to me on YT if you have them...a-and if you want to ^^;

my username for both sites is : HetaliaSeychellesLuv

I'll try my best to whip up a chapter for Defiance soon...i have no idea where i even left off w/ that one honestly. ...WOW its really been a long itme hasn't it. ...I feel bad now. I hope this was satisfying enough...not a whole lot of important stuff happens...

BTW. sicne it's never actually been reveiled, France's roommate is Spain. ...that may or may not come up later...i have no idea what im doing at this point...

Now. Sey-chan is tired, AND SO. ...

off to Bullshit my French HW then copy my history in English tomorrow~~~ :D PEACE OUT MY LOVELY LOYAL FANS WHO HAVENT KILLED ME FOR SOME MIRACULOUS REASON~