It was hard not to stare at Ukraine's chest. Impossible, really. He was trying to look at her eyes, he really was, but they – it! – was just… there. The harder he tried not to look, the greater their tug became. 'Probably some kind of relation for the force of attraction. Amount looking would be a bad idea times… how hot they are times the, uh, social constant over distance squared or something. Hmm… that was catchy. And easy. I should make my own T-shirts.'

"Latvia." It was Lithuania, the only one in the room not staring at the same part of Ukraine he was. (Of course, it helped that he was tall enough to look her in the eye.) "Are you paying attention?"

"Of course." 'Goody-goody.'"Why wouldn't I be?"

"You seemed sp – distracted." (They'd all been trying to avoid calling him spacey. Or stupid. Or rash. It would've been nice if he he'd thought they could keep it straight.)

"Anyway," he continued, turning back to Ukraine, "you were saying?"

"Well, it's been really difficult with bro – Russia lately. He wants me back." Estonia raised an eyebrow. "And it's complicated. I'm still not entirely sure what I want. I mean, I want independence, but… it's complicated." She shifted, absently moving one hand to keep her blouse from popping. "You have a nice house."

"Oh! Thank you." They had decided to have each meeting at a different member's house. For some reason, even though they were sitting in Latvia's living room, he got the sense that he wasn't in charge. "I clean a lot."

Poland stiffened and tried to catch Lithuania's eye. After a few seconds, the taller nation turned and gave a small shake of his head. Poland slowly relaxed.

'What was that about? Oh, right, cleaning. Lithuania does clean all the time. He used to do it at Russia's. I hope that that's not why I'm cleaning all the time. No, wait, that's not a new thing. For me, anyway. Maybe for him. Wait, what if it is new and I just don't remember? That'd be crazy. I might've completely changed while I was working for Russia and never… noticed.'

"Latvia?" Lithuania again, but he sounded more concerned than irritated. Latvia looked down. Without noticing it, he'd begun to clutch at the front of his jacket. He slowly released it. "Is there something wrong?"

"Of course… not! Of course not!" he managed. "Why would I be?"

It was only when Estonia and Lithuania exchanged a glance that he realized how repetitive he had become.

"Um, I'm fine. Fine." No one seemed inclined to interrupt him, so he continued to blather. "Just fine. Great. Never better."

Lithuania folded his arms. "Has anything interesting been going on lately?"

"No! No. Look, I know it looks weird, but I'm just a little… spacey. There, I said it! I tend to zone out. Could we go back to something important now?"

"Sure." Lithuania hadn't stopped staring. It was starting to remind him of Sweden. "Has it ever occurred to you that people think you're spacey because you deliberately encourage the assumption?"

"What?" He raised his finger to continue; then he managed to process what Lithuania had said. "You think I make people think I'm spacey on purpose?"

"Yes. Or, if not quite that, you at least don't discourage them from thinking it." He waited a moment. "Well?"

"Why else wouldn't I be able to focus?" He was starting to whine, and he knew it.

Much to his surprise, Lithuania didn't call him out on it. Instead, he fluttered from the chair nearest Ukraine to the one next to Latvia, perching on its edge like a gangly finch. He calmly steepled his fingers. 'Turning into Austria. All he needs is a pair of glasses to fiddle with.'

"Well, let's review the evidence." 'He even sounds like him.' "How long have you noticed problems focusing?"

"I've always had them."

"Are you sure? Think for a moment."

"It… might have started a few months after I came to live with Russia." 'It's just like I was thinking earlier! I changed without noticing.' "I don't really remember. I started noticing it then, because it got me into trouble."

"Interesting." He pulled at one of his long, cuffed sleeves. 'It's not like we don't know what's under there.' "What were you thinking about?" Latvia stared blankly for a moment. "Just now, when you lost focus."

"Oh, um…" 'Great, either I say I was worried about Russia or that I was staring at Ukraine. Okay, you can do this. Just think of which will naturally occasion the most awkward conversation, consider the worst-case scenario, think of the alternatives...'

"I was looking at Ukraine's breasts and then I was worrying that Russia had changed me like he changed you!" 'Me and my stupid mouth. I really am spacey. Try getting them to believe it, though… heh.'

Lithuania gaped for a moment, suspending a hand in midair as if afraid that any gesture would decide his next words. His mouth opened and closed like a fish's. Unsurprisingly, he did not break the ensuing silence. Surprisingly, it was not Estonia that did.

"How Russia changed him?" asked Poland quietly. Lithuania's hand warily crept back into his lap, but the nation didn't turn to look at the other.

"I was just thinking," babbled Latvia, "I mean, Lithuania always did a lot of cleaning and housework, but he did way more when he worked for Russia. And he was always kind of nervous and uptight, but he just got quieter and quieter when he was with Russia. Didn't he whisper a lot right after? I mean, it's none of my business. I'm just worried because, you know, he doesn't seem to notice stuff like that, and maybe Russia changed me, too, and I just never realized it because it didn't happen all at once and I was too worried about what was going on to make a big deal about it and –"

"Breathe, Latvia," muttered Prussia. His tone was sarcastic, but it lacked energy.

Then the rest of the room seemed to dissolve into the six feet between Poland and Lithuania. Poland looked as though he had been slapped, while Lithuania started to tremble as though he was expecting the same. His only response when Poland rose to his feet was to curl his shoulders forward by a fraction of an inch. No one missed it. Poland slowly crossed the room and gently put a hand on his shoulder.

"He didn't change you that much. You're still you," he muttered. Lithuania nodded tensely. Poland removed his hand to allow him to rise.

"See you next week," he said, getting Lithuania's coat. Lithuania nodded again. They left in silence, shoulders close enough to raise static charges on their coats.