Chapter Four
AN: Quite a bit of exposition in this one. And posting early cuz we're supposed to be getting a nasty ice storm this weekend. Knowing my luck, we won't have power…
A couple of months later in the early morning Matthew was awoke by his phone ringing on the bedside table. Canada groaned and reached for it.
Prussia grumbled and looked up. "Wie spät ist es?" He slurred sleepily.
"France." Matthew said laying back and answering the phone. "Hello."
"Bon matin, Matthew!" France greeted loudly. Canada winced at the loudness. "I hope I didn't wake you. Anyways, New Years is coming up and Alfred is throwing his annual party! Unfortunately it's required for all nations to go. You know it counts at the 'meeting' for the month."
"Really unfortunate." Canada grumbled half asleep.
"And because America is too lazy to call everyone, he called us, we call you and then you're supposed to call Australia." France said. "Arbres d'appel stupides."
"I'll call Jett later when I get a chance." Blackbird said stifling a yawn. Prussia laughed quietly next to him resting his chin on the Canadians shoulder. "Hotels and flights are our responsibility?"
"Yes, but Alfred is offering a few rooms for the night. If you want to stay longer, you'll need a hotel." Francis said. Matthew could hear England saying something in the background. "Oh, got to go! Au revoir!"
"Bye Papa." Matthew sighed hanging up and putting his phone back on the bedside table before turning back over.
"Jou do flights and I'll do hotel?" Gilbert asked as Matthew lied back down.
"Yeah, but morning." Blackbird said with another yawn. Prussia pulled him closer and Canada tucked his head in the crook of the albino's neck.
-❄" .uk."❄-
"Or ve could just drive down?" Prussia suggested. "If jou're picking up a contract down there it would be easier to get your rifle through the boarder."
Matthew nodded agreeing. The weather was supposed to be pretty warm, no snow or rain in the forecast. They would save money on flights and not have to rent a car. "Bike or truck?"
"Might as vell take the bike. It's supposed to be relatively varm for December." Gilbert said as Canada gave him his coffee. The blond sat down next to him on the couch with his own mug and looked at the laptop screen. Prussia was still picking out a hotel. "Vhat do jou think of this one?"
"That looks pretty cool." Matthew said looking over the details. He wasn't too picky about where they would stay; it was only for two nights anyways.
America's party every year was a point of stress for Canada. Being in such close quarters with the American made him very tense. Every year he stressed so much about going, but then nothing ever happened.
"Late checkout too, vhich is always good." Gilbert said starting to book. Canada reached forward to grab his glasses off the coffee table and put them on. He only really needed them to read. Blackbird started to browse through the contracts he'd been sent in the past couple of weeks.
One in particular caught his eye. It was a contract for Denis Soden, the man who had payed him to kill Dylan Lisk a few months ago. He looked over the details and did a quick search for Denis's schedule. He found quite a bit of solid information on the dark web from inside of the boss's inner circle. It turned out that Soden would be just an hour away the night before Alfred's party.
Blackbird made sure to check into who had sent the contract and where it had come from. He traced it back to a phone in northern Kentucky. He cross-referenced where the person who had sent it would have been at the time. He also checked over a few other things making sure everything lined up. All of it did. He also scouted a few possible buildings to shoot from, but decided to just get in close and use his kagune. He needed to remember to visit Zyler and Amity before he left.
Canada accepted the contract and sent loose details of where and when the hit would happen. He wasn't loyal to anyone in the underground or mob scene. He kept his identity completely hidden.
The image of the 'Red-Winged Blackbird' was pretty skewed. Some people thought that he was more than one person; a group of assassins and ghouls based in Canada. Others thought that the Blackbird was a long line of ghouls. Even people and other hitmen in the underground didn't know the truth about the Blackbird. There were very few people that did.
Prussia was one of the few who did. Of course he'd only seen the ghoul side of Canada once or twice. Matthew tended to keep Gilbert far away from any business with his contracts or problem ghouls. He was occasionally introduced to a ghoul here and there. He knew all of the ghouls in Matthew's small network and a couple of the undertakers.
The first couple of times the albino had met a person he knew was a ghoul he was nervous that they would try to take a bite. He knew that they wouldn't, especially because Matthew was there. Canada had seemed to sense the discomfort and brought it up later. He told Prussia that nations didn't smell the same as a human and didn't really smell like food to a ghoul. Gilbert was a bit offended at first, but Canada reassured him that he didn't smell bad laughing the whole time.
"Do ve have to do anything today?" Gilbert asked closing the laptop and setting it on the coffee table. He stretched out and rested his head on Canada's shoulder.
"I have some papers to pick up, but I can put it off for a day or three." Matthew said with a yawn. Being woken up so early and attempting to fall back asleep had been hard on him. It didn't bother the Prussian because he was more of a morning person. "Are you hungry?"
"Lil bit." Prussia admitted looking up at him.
"Want pancakes?" The Canadian asked and Gilbert's eyes lit up. "You make coffee and I'll make the pancakes?"
"Deal!" Prussia said jumping up and pulling Matthew up with him. He led the blond to the kitchen and started to make coffee. It didn't take him to long and soon he was hovering around Canada watching him cook.
Matthew was a really good cook despite not really being able to eat any of it. He liked cooking too, even though it smelled terrible to him. Whatever seemed to smell the worst, tasted the best to a normal person. Canada flipped the first one onto a plate and Prussia hopped up on the counter and started to eat. He got half way through the first pancake before he remembered to grab maple syrup.
"What do you want to do for the rest of the day?" Matthew asked flipping the last one onto Prussia's plate.
"Movie marathon?" Prussia asked. "Or a new season of Letterkenny just came out?"
"Oh I forgot about that." Canada said setting the pan off to the side to cool off. He leaned on the counter next to where Gilbert was finishing his pancakes.
"Well, pitter patter." Prussia said doing a terrible imitation of the Canadian's accent.
Matthew smile and rolled his eyes. "You're doing the dishes then, eh?"
"Fine." Prussia grumbled hopping off the counter. Canada laughed blowing him a kiss and heading into the living room.
AN: Also, if you want updates about when I'm posting or if something has changed please follow my tumblr(TallPoppy-Canada). I post a bunch of APH Canada stuff as well as the occasional oneshot! You can also ask me any question about my versions of Canada or about me.
