A/N: So, I ended up writing a second chapter. Now the process is reversed! And *gasp* Gilbert is the one with the hangover!

Warning: Genderbending Ahead

Mattie was having a bad day.

First, there was a world meeting the next day but (as usual) someone had forgotten to invite her, so she had no idea where it was.

Second, no one except Gil had made any contact with her since the last world meeting. Unless you count random calls from Amelia asking for advice on various subjects, mostly Arthur.

Third, it was bad enough that she was having a bad day, but on top of that, no one seemed to care that she was having a bad day.

Well, there was one person who would care.

Which is why, at ten o'clock at night, Mattie went to visit Gilbert.

She knocked.

No answer.

She knocked again.

Still no answer.

"Gil?"

Still no answer.

"Gil, it's Mattie. I know you're in there."

Silence.

"I'm coming in."

Concerned, Mattie fished the spare key out from under the front mat and opened the door.

Entering the dark house, the strong smell of alcohol met her nose.

Mattie sighed, knowing what to do.

She found the Prussian sprawled on the couch, passed out. She took a moment to study his sleeping face, the only time when it wasn't covered with a broad grin or smirk. Mattie thought he was cute when he slept, but when he was stoned he just seemed...different. Unhappy somehow.

Grunting under his weight, the Canadian shifted him so Gilbert was in a more comfortable position. She threw a blanket over him, then kissed his forehead.

Picking up his scattered belongings, most likely knocked over in his drunken attempt to get to the couch,

Mattie put everything back in place before heading to the kitchen. She pulled out what she needed for pancakes (Mattie made everything from scratch. Mixes were taboo.) and a small bottle of maple syrup she kept at Gilbert's house for these occasions.

By the time the pancakes were finished, Gil was starting to wake up.

"Mattie?" he muttered from the couch.

The blonde in question walked into the living room, offering a glass of water and a pain killer that Gilbert took gratefully.

"How do you feel?" Mattie asked.

Gilbert snorted, "Like my stomach went to hell, bathed in lava, came back and smacked me in the head, then dove back into me via my moth. Basically, totally unawesome."

Mattie chuckled, "For as long as you've been drinking, you'd figure you'd be immune to hangovers."

"Far from it," Gilbert laughed harshly, "If anything, they get worse."

"So, what was it this time?" Mattie asked softly, noting the fact that they had been talking for several minutes and the word 'awesome' had only been used once.

Gil leaned back on the couch, "I'm not going to the world meeting."

"Why not?"

"I'm not a country. What right do I have to impose my opinions on anyone else?"

Mattie stared at the albino next to her. Usually he would say something like 'The awesome me will invade your vital regions! Of course my awesome opinion matters!' but right now the albino looked so...so downright human.

"Who was it?"

"No one."

"Gil..." Mattie said warningly.

"Russia."

"That jerk! Who listens to him anyway?"

Gilbert remained silent.

"Gil..." Mattie said slowly, then she corrected herself, "No, Prussia, you are a country!"

Gilbert raised an eyebrow at her. She never called him 'Prussia'.

"You're a country. You always have been and you always will be," she continued, "Your egotistical, impatient and just downright stupid."

Gil raised both eyebrows, "Mattie, if you're trying to cheer me up, you're doing a horrible job."

The Canadian held up a hand, "You didn't let me finish."

Gil shut his mouth as Mattie adjusted her glasses.

"Where was I?" she mused, "Oh, yeah, you're stupid. Having land isn't what makes you a country! What matters is your people. You," she pointed at Gilbert, then at herself, "and me, everyone, we're the embodiment of our people. So long as we exist within our people, we exist. Take Sealand for example!

He isn't even a proper country! But he exists in the hearts of his people!"

Here Mattie got quiet.

"And look at me," she said so quietly, Gil had to strain to hear, "I have land and everything, I'm the freakin second biggest country, and I didn't even get invited to the world meeting."

Now it was Gilbert's turn to look concerned. He sat up quickly, making him wince as his head throbbed, and pulled Mattie into a hug.

"You should go anyway," he said into her hair, "You're the freakin awesomest country other than me."

"I don't know where it is," Mattie muttered, fighting tears.

"I'm sure West knows, I could call him," Gilbert offered.

Mattie pushed away from her comfortable position to look the Prussian in the eye.

"If I'm going, so are you," she said firmly, "You're a country, you deserve to be there."

"Okay okay," he said, a grin slowly spreading across his face, "The awesome me will grace the others with my awesome presence."

Mattie grinned too.

"Now," the Prussian said seriously, "Did the awesome me smell some awesome pancakes?"

The two wandered into the kitchen, Gilbert calling Ludwig to ask for the location of the next world meeting, while Mattie drowned the pancakes in maple syrup.

"You know," Gilbert said in (awesome) amazement, "It's an awesome wonder you aren't fat with all the maple syrup you eat."

"It's organic," Mattie said, shrugging, as if this answered the question, "Amelia doesn't get fat from all his burgers."

"Yeah but she's probably anorexic."

Mattie smacked him, which just made Gil smirk.

It was almost midnight when they finished their pancakes and Mattie decided she would be staying over at his house (and if he even thought about doing anything while she slept, she would take his manhood and-)

"Okay, the awesome me gets it!" Gil said, holding up his hands in surrender, "No messing around!"

Satisfied that he got the point, Mattie went up to bed while Gil cleaned the dishes.

When he was finished, the albino went upstairs to make sure Mattie was sleeping.

She was already asleep as Gilbert pushed open the door.

He watched her chest rise and fall with her even breaths, and sat down on the other side of the bed from her.

Mattie's face was so peaceful when she slept. She wasn't worried or hurt, she was just...calm.

Gil slowly traced her jawline with his finger, smiling as her soft skin rubbed against his rough, calloused hands. Calloused from years of war and pain.

Carefully, so as not to wake her, Gilbert laid down on the bed beside her, his hand playing with her hair.

Mattie smiled in her sleep, and Gil smiled too. He stayed that way, watching her, until his eyes started to close.

When Mattie woke she was extremely comfortable, but far warmer than she remembered being when she fell asleep.

Then Mattie felt the arm around her waist and recognized the familiar smell: Beer, gunpowder and something else that was just...Gilbert.

The Canadian looked up at the albino, who was still sleeping. Sometime during the night, his shirt had come off, but he had been true to his word and his body rested above the sheets.

She was just considering the option of staying in this position for the rest of the day when Mattie looked at the glowing clock on the bed-side table.

"Maple syrup!" she exclaimed, sitting up straight and waking Gilbert, who nearly fell off the bed.

"That was so not an awesome way to wake up," he muttered, rubbing his head.

"We're going to be late!" she said, yanking on some pants and a jacket.

"For what?"

"The world meeting!"

Mattie flung open the door, "I'll make breakfast. Get some clothes on!"

The microwave was just dinging that the pop tarts were ready when Gilbert said, "You know they're called 'pop tarts' not 'ding tarts' right?"

Mattie threw him a pack, which Gilbert caught easily.

"This is no time to be criticizing my pop tart making preferences!" she said cooly, "Now let's go!"

They were only five minutes behind schedule when they raced through the doors to the world conference.

"Sorry we're late!" Mattie exclaimed while Prussia said, "The awesome me has arrived! This meeting can now start!"

Everyone, of course, turned to look at them.

Francis gave a pervy little chuckle. Arthur seemed to be restraining Amelia from doing something violent to Gilbert. Antonio gave Gilbert a wink and a thumbs up while Ludwig cleared his throat and said, "Yes, well, if you would both take your seats."

"Why is he here?" Ivan asked, gesturing at Gilbert, "He's not a country, why does his opinion matter?"

Gilbert put his hands on his hips and grin-smirked, (a move only he could pull off awesomely), "The awesome me will invade your vital regions! Of course my awesome opinion matters!"

Mattie just smiled and pulled him to sit down.

As the meeting continued, France leaned over to whisper to Canada, "Pst! Mattie, me cher, I'm so glad you made it! You had an invitation, but for some reason the post office sent it to Hong Kong."

Hong Kong waved sheepishly from his position next to Iceland.

Mattie smiled. Maybe things were looking up.