Recognized

When I was sure that my hair would stay perfectly styled, I half-smiled at the mirror. I'm surprised that I didn't go through a whole container of hair gel!

Fiddling with the cuffs of my sweater, shifting my weight to my other leg in impatience, and writhing my excessively clammy hands; it wasn't hard to guess that I was extreamly nervous. Calm down Mattie, I mentally asured myself. Sure, it's your first date, but what could possibly go wrong?

"Oh, I don't know, just about...everything?" Matt joked, appearing to be leaning on the door jam. How did I not see him?! Shooting a glare at my 2P, I smoothed down my fringe for the 100th time in vain, trying my best to not let Matt's words crush what was left of my self-assurance.

Stepping out of the aged en suite, I pushed past Matt and walked out to the heart of my house. The living room itself brings me back to the very day I first opened my eyes as a country.

The quaint furniture, the faded portraits of my past bosses, and even the food in the pantry...all of it untouched, just the way I kept it before I moved out to live with England and America.

I dared a glance at my phone, the pixelated text confirmed the date. February 14th.

Valentine's Day. The exact day I promised to spend with Gilbert, something I was eagerly looking forward to and something I deeply regretted. What if he doesn't feel the same way? What if the relationship won't last? What if I'm not ready?

"Mattie, don't sweat it! I'm sure you'll both hit it off." Maddie encouraged, wringing me out of my pessimistic circle of thoughts. I looked up to see her holding a pair of new denim trousers, my old pair were mauled by Kumajirou in an attempt to persuade me to let him come with me, the day of my departure.

With a small nod of appreciation, I took the trousers from her outstretched hands. The price tag displayed more numbers than I expected.

"Thanks, Madds, but you didn't need to shop at a designer department store to buy me a pair of replacement pants!" I laughed, ruffling her wispy curls, wearing her hair down for a change. Maddie waved away my modesty and told me to try them out for size.

Ushering Matt out of my room, I intended to get changed out of my grey sweatpants. Though, my body had other plans. Instead, my hands reached for my suitcase, inside the dastardly drug I had succeeded in getting hooked on. What the hell is going on?

"You can not fight ze cravings, Matthieu." The gruff Frenchman's voice rung loud and clear in my head, only I could hear him.

My hands, now equipped with minds of their own, drove the needle into my skin without warning and rather abruptly. I tried to yell out to Matt or Maddie, but not even a squeak came out. Sinister music filled the room, as the house lurched this way and that. This doesn't seem right, where is the flashback?!

My head filled with pain so intense, the force pushed me down to the floorboards. I grasped my head and cried, the oncoming scream caught in my throat. Voices...I could hear voices but no footage to accompany the dreaded event being replayed.

"For the last time, I'm not at fault for Jean's death! Sure, your beloved Johanne was killed by the British, but we're in the present now! Stop dwelling in the past!" Arthur?

"Oh bullshit! It iz your fault and your fault alone! Because of you, Matthieu is motherless!" Francis?

The shrieks between my mother-country and papa continued, as I pleaded for it all to stop. Hysteria rose in my screams, my sanity exceeding it's limits. I had become deranged, lost.

Insane.

"I'm sorry, mon ange..."

"Matthew! Matthew! C'mon, vake up!" I shot straight up, head butting the person shaking me awake. Wincing, I rubbed the dull pain pulsating from my forehead before standing up to apologize to the unfortunate person on the ground next to me.

"I'm so sorry Matt, I didn't see you there-" I started, though I was cut off by the one voice I wanted to hear the most.

"Matt? Who iz zis "Matt" you are referring me to?" The albino stood up on his own, despite being a little un-coordinated from the recent head-on-head collision. I internally face-palmed at my clumsiness. The man I had just hit and called my split-personality, was in fact, Prussia.

I dithered for what seemed like five minutes, before I frantically looked around the room for the evidence of my hidden narchotic, but with no success. No needle, no vial, not even a puncture wound on my arm. From over Gilbert's shoulder, Maddie and Matt gave me a thumbs-up, they'd obviously taken care of my dirty work before Gil arrived.

"S-Sorry, Gil. You're not hurt, are you?" I asked, walking casually over to the Prussian. Gilbert blinked a few times, and shrugged while flashing a reassuring grin, "Who, me? Hurt? Pfft, I should asking you zat! You ver zee one laying on zee ground in a mumbo-jumbo trance!"

Trance? Hm, I wonder, why is the effect different this time? Rather than worry now, I have a guest, I should be more concerned for him.

"By zee vey, who are zee two over zhere who greeted me? Zey look very much like you!" Prussia asked, pointing his thumb over his shoulder, curiosity laced into his tone.

I opened my mouth to say they were "distant relatives", but quickly thought otherwise. No, I shouldn't lie. As much as it is a secret, I can't lie, especially not to Gilbert. Instead, I sighed quietly.

"How about we discuss it over some pancakes, eh? I'll make your favorites." I comprimised, in a persuasive tone. As if mechanically, Prussia's attention was diverted to the thought of the ice-cream and maple syrup pancakes I made for him the first time he came to my place. In a blur of navy blue, I suspected Prussia was obediantly waiting at the dinner table, like a trained dog.

Whilst I conbined the ingrediants to make the batter, I decided to tell him, "The two people that greeted you are actually...me. Matt is my alternative personality, most commenly called a 2P. And the girl's name is Maddie, my female-counterpart."

Gil stopped swinging his legs under the table and looked at me, before he snickered. "Man, West von't shut up about zee whole "2P's vill take over zee verld" business! Don't vorry, zough! I von't tell mein bruder. It'll be our little secret, okay?"

"I wonder," I started, choosing my words carefully, "I wonder if you have a 2P?" Prussia's smile faltered, and I instantly felt the guilt in the pit of my stomach.

Prussia's smile returned, a half-hearted one, though he tried his best not to frown in my presence, "West tells me constantly zat he may be out zhere, but if he is my flipped personality...would that mean he wouldn't of had the strength to remain a country like I have?"

Before I could break the awkward silence, Prussia sensed the mood and changed the subject, "So, uh, vhere are vee going today? Any plans?"

I spooned the batter onto the sizzeling pan on the stovetop, "Where ever you like! You are my guest after all."

Before long, the pancakes were done. A stack of five pancakes doused in maple syrup and a single scoop of vanilla ice-cream for me, and chocolate for Gil. I couldn't help but chuckle at our differences. I ate with a knife and fork, in contrast with Gilbert, who didn't care about his sticky hands as he dug into his pile, guzzling on the leftover syrup from his plate. Opposites attract...

"I have an awesome idea!" Prussia announced, patting his distended belly, "I've never had much luck vith ice-skating, could you teach me first-hand? Please?" He wrung his hands in a pleading manner, pulling the old "puppy-eye" trick from the book. It wasn't very effective, but it sounded like a good idea, so I agreed to take him to the frozen lake down the hill for a test run.

While I haven't figure skated much, ice-hockey is one sport I have been able to beat Alfred at as of yet. I demonstrated the correct technique to move forward, to switch directions, and to turn a full circle. Gilbert was still quite skittish, but managed to get the hang of it. Taking his hands, we spun around on the ice together, and Prussia was ecstatic with excitement.

"Oh man, zat was wundarbar! Alsough, falling over all zhose times has done it's toll on me!" Prussia laughed, untying the ice-skates I lent him without much difficulty. Time flies when you're having fun, and it was true. We left just after two o'clock in the afternoon, and already it was nearing to six-thirty!

So, without much further rest, we set off back to my cabin. Since I live quite high up the mountain-range, we had to hike back up the snowy, fir-tree infested biome the same way we got down. As the sun dipped under the sky and the crescent Moon reclaimed it's position curled up in the starry night sky, the temperature dropped a little lower than the weather-man forecasted.

Prussia kept me close at his side, a hand place safely in the middle of my back. Suddenly, for whatever reason he posed, Gilbert walked us both off the track. I wanted to question his reasoning, but with the genuine look he kept on his face, he knew where he was going.

Behind a formidable thicket of trees, having to crawl on our stomachs to over come such an obstacle, we reached a grotto that I was never aware of. Judging by the shaping of the cave's entrance and the primative drawings on the walls, early Inuit tribes had obviously carved the whole interior from the cliff face.

"It's easier to talk in here zan outside, no vind over our heads or anysing." Prussia commented. Taking hold of my hand now, he walked further in, despite not much light he managed to go without tripping over. I reached for my torch to help with the light source, but stopped as I finally noticed faint green lights dotting the walls.

Glow worms. Prussia turned a sharp right and we were presented with a glowing, mossy wall. There, Gil sat down a safe distance away from the wall; in case we accidentally startled our light source, and I followed down shortly.

"Matthew," Prussia said, catching my attention, "Danke, for taking zee time out to let me visit you. I had fun, lots of it! I vish vee could spend more time togeser, I guess meins und bruder's schedules are really busy, as is your's."

I nodded twice, averting my eyes to my side. This could be my chance only chance to ask, I thought.

"Gil, was this really a date?"

When I met his gaze one more, he was staring; his red orbs warm like a logfire, I couldn't help but shiver. And it wasn't just because I was cold. Prussia let go of my hand to wrap his arm around my shoulders, pulling me a little closer. Yet I didn't struggle against his touch, with anyone else I would.

Gilbert chuckled once, "Of course, silly! I guess I should of said zis earlier but, I've really liked you for a vhile, I just vasn't sure of your preferance. And you can't just openly ask if someone's gay, right?"

Everything clicked together, like a resolved puzzle. Using all of my strength to hold my excitement together and to not smile like a lunatic, I hummed in agreement, "I honestly thought you were straight, but I guess neither of us are. Because I really like you, too."

Prussia's hopeful eyes smiled with his mouth, his cheeks flaming. Biting the side of his bottom lip, his smile slowly grew wider, "Vhell, vhat happens after a date?" It was my time to blush.

"A-A kiss..." I whispered the answer to my feet, but Prussia's fingers gently coaxed my head up to meet his own. Gilbert gave a small nod, hesitating a little as he inched closer...and closer still.

Millimeters before our lips could touch, the pain in my head from this morning returned, stronger than before. Sadistic French laughter rung in my ears, louder. "Nggh..." I groaned, my head falling into my hands.

The pain subsided as quickly as it came. I looked up to see a confused, and slightly disheartened Gilbert, blinking at me.

"I-I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong idea, I do want to kiss you! It's just my head and-" I babbled, close to tears. What if I gave the wrong impression?

I felt a hand cup my cheek, and looked up. Prussia smiled, understanding the situation. My internal sigh of relief was switched with a surprised gasp as Prussia lifted me effortlessly up onto my feet.

"I sihnk zat you should get some sleep, Matthew." Prussia answered parentally, though his tone stayed light. Good, at least he didn't take it to heart...

The wind outside had died, though it was that much colder than when we entered the grotto. Now, much more comfortable that our feelings were shared, I hugged closer to Gil as we trudged higher.

Finally, we made it inside. I felt inclined to flop onto the sofa and sleep, but Gilbert directed me to my room and waited outside until I was changed.

I opened the door and let him in, the bedside lamp offering faint lighting. At the foot of my bed, Prussia held me in front of him with a look that said, "Where were we?".

"Goodnight, Matthew," Was all Prussia said before he pressed his lips to mine. A volt of electricity struck my spine, as I raked my hand through his ashen locks. "Ich liebe dich...Kanada." He breathed before he placed a final kiss at the corner of my mouth.

"I...love you too, Prussia." I replied breathlessly, retuning back to an embrace in the Prussian's arms. I struggled with the oncoming emotions, shedding a tear.

Hearing my soft sniffling, Prussia pulled back to face me with a concerned face. Using his thumb, he dried my streaky tears comfortingly. He remained silent, instead on bombarding me with trivial questions like "Are you okay?". The fact itself made me feel a little better.

"Don't w-worry," My voice wavered, smiling at my babyish reactions, "I'm just happy that someone finally recognizes me and truly loves me for who I am! And no matter what anyone thinks, you'll always be a country to me."

Placing a kiss atop of my forehead, Gilbert supported the my back of my head with an alabaster hand, his other forearm hanging loosely over the edge of my shoulder.

Though I'm sure he'd never admit it, tears stung his glassy eyes as well.

"Danke...Matthew."

Translations:

• Matthieu = French way of saying Matthew :/

• Mon ange = My angel

• (Mein) Bruder = (My) brother

• Wundarbar = Wonderful, Amazing, etc.

• Danke = Thank you, Thanks, etc.

• Und = And

• Meins = Mine

• Ich liebe dich = I love you

• Kanada = German for Canada

I was close to tears while writing the later scenes, I've never really gotten emotional when writing, if not ever!

I hope you liked this chapter, leave a favorite or review to show your support. If you want to be updated everytime I upload a chapter, just follow this story!

Tune in next time for 'Chapter Seven'!

Bye!