Thanks to Little Miss. Maple for reviewing.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.

Chapter 221: Northern Lights

Canada sighed as he popped the pill. It was only morning, and he was already dealing with a headache. At least the Latin Americans were still sleeping. That meant that he had some time to himself before the chaos of the day.

It had become clear early on that he would need to get a better vehicle than the pickup truck. His guests would alternate between admiring the nature and admiring the cities. A minibus had been necessary for the latter, and he'd called his boss to request for that. And to his surprise, the prime minister not only approved the request, but had personally come to deliver the minibus and meet all of the nations currently visiting the country. Well, at least they had managed to impress the other nations.

That had been almost a week ago. Now, after they'd had some time to get used to the climate (and buy proper winter gear, even though winter was officially over), they would be going far north to see the aurora borealis. A trailer had also been necessary for their luggage, particularly the camping equipment.

And Canada also had more than enough camping equipment now.

As he got to work on this morning's breakfast – not just pancakes, but also bacon, eggs and toast – he couldn't help a small smile. Because, even though they were distracted by the things his country had to offer, they didn't once let him feel like an outsider in their group. The spell had worn off, but he was still remembered. Things hadn't returned to the way they were before.

Of course, that also gave another list of problems.

Canada was hesitant to check his emails. He had made it a habit to check in the morning and in the evening, and he would usually find something from at least one of his admirers, sending him something fluffy and (they hoped) romantic. Some of them sometimes sent a text message during the day, but none of them called. Canada didn't take that personally. Wales and Mexico had made it very clear that he would be spending time with them, and others would be there in Mexico's case. He didn't know whether it was fear or consideration that prevented them from interrupting his time with the others.

Well, they wouldn't be able to interrupt for the next two days, anyway. Where they were going, there was no signal. He had a satellite phone for emergencies, but that was about it.

…

"Is it just me, or is it getting colder?" Venezuela remarked.

"It might be," Canada said, not taking his eyes off the road. "We're going further north, so the temperature is bound to be dropping."

"I'm starting to see why you won't go on that diet," Haiti muttered, glancing at Cuba.

"Having Canada as a friend means that having a layer of blubber is a good idea if you want to visit him," Cuba murmured.

"I think I prefer having a body pillow," Costa Rica remarked, holding a reluctant Kumajiro. "Has anyone else noticed that Canada is actually pretty warm?"

"No," Nicaragua sighed. "You're the only one that makes it a habit to tackle him in a hug. And some people are making sure that the rest of us aren't sleeping next to him."

Mexico and Argentina chuckled at that. Brazil had been the one to suggest the sleeping arrangements – something he'd learned from the two South Africas. Everyone was sleeping together in the living room, but Argentina and Mexico were the ones that claimed the spots next to Canada, with Brazil being close as well.

It hadn't escaped the notice of everyone else that those three were particularly protective of Canada.

…

They arrived at the campsite about an hour before sunset, and Canada was the one that advised them to get to work on the tents immediately. It would get dark very fast, and they didn't want to have to set up tents when it was dark.

It was a team effort, but all of the tents were up after about ten minutes.

"Alright," Canada said. "We still have some time, so would you like to explore the area a bit?"

"You guys can go ahead with that," Argentina waved him off. "I'll get to work on dinner."

"Actually, I think we can do that after dark," Brazil said. "When are we going to have an opportunity like this again?"

It was with great reluctance that Argentina agreed three minutes later, and everyone scattered to explore the area. Canada wasn't surprised that he was in a group with Mexico, Argentina and Brazil again.

"You know, I think everyone's having fun," Mexico said. "Maybe next time, we should make arrangements for the summer."

"Please," Argentina remarked. "How do you live up here? It's freezing!"

"I could ask the same about you guys," Canada said. "It must be hard, living in those ovens."

Brazil snorted in laughter, and Mexico couldn't help the grin on her own face. She was happy, because before, Canada wouldn't have said something like that. Now, he was engaging in banter like the rest of them.

After cooking around the fire, frying marshmallows and telling ghost stories (Canada never had anyone interested in some of his stories before), a few hours had passed before the first gasp of wonder could be heard.

"Look!" Dominica Republic exclaimed, pointing to the sky.

Everyone stared in wonder as the first of the aurora borealis painted the sky in colour, and once the first streak had been painted, nature grew confident and continued playing with her paintbrush. Soon enough, everyone's attentions were glued to the coloured lights in the sky.

"Wow…" Mexico breathed. "I never imagined that it would be so wonderful to actually see it."

"I'm glad you like it," Canada said. "It will be gone soon, until next autumn."

"…When did you say It was best to see it?"

"Winter is the ideal time."

"…I'll start working on my tolerance to cold."

The aurora is something I would seriously like to see one day. If there are any inaccuracies, I apologise. Working on second- and thirdhand knowledge here.

What Brazil suggested is what we call a Christmas bed. The history behind it is that the whole family comes together for Christmas, but there's almost never enough beds for everyone. Solution: Gather all the mattresses, pillows, cushions and blankets and throw it all together in the living room to make one huge bed. This is also the standard setup for sleepovers, and occasionally camps (when camping in a cabin during the cold months, it's seen as a better choice to share body heat in a Christmas bed than everyone suffering alone in their bunkbeds).