When Ivan doesn't show up all day Friday, I lose hope. If I find him, maybe I can just tell him to say it, as a last-ditch effort.

On Saturday morning, Al wakes me up for our traditional IHOP breakfast, but I don't want to go, so I tell him to take Kiku instead.

I sit on my bed late that evening, Al texted me that he's spending the night at Kiku's, and hear a knock on my door. I walk slowly over and answer it, completely surprised when it's Ivan.

"Matvey… I…" he holds up a piece of paper. I look it over. Everything on my list is checked off. So you love me?! Yay! But… you have to say it!

"I am sorry that I stormed off like that yesterday, it just took me by surprise. Even if you do not feel the same way, I… Matvey, I do love you…"

I feel something inside me change, like a tingly sensation in my throat. I find myself unable to move at all. The feeling disappears after a moment of shocked stillness, and Ivan looks a little sad since I've been paralyzed by the odd feeling.

"I will be leaving now Matvey… and I do not think I will be coming back…"

As Ivan starts to leave, I burst out, "I love you too!"

This sudden outburst takes us both by surprise.

"Matvey," Ivan rushes back to me, "your voice!"

"I-Ivan…" I stutter, overwhelmed with joy, "I-I can speak again!"

"That is wonderful!" Ivan picks me up by the waist and spins me around. I laugh out loud for the first time in forever. As Ivan puts me down and I pull him into my room, he asks, "I wonder what triggered it."

'Go ahead,' a little voice in my head says, 'you did very well. My game is over. Looks like you won.'

"You did," I say out loud, "When you told me you loved me." Ivan looks really confused, so I explain everything to him.

"It is sort of a 'love's curse' da?" Ivan observes.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that."

Ivan leans close to me and whispers, "I love you."

I manage a breathless, "I love you too," before he presses his lips to mine in a sweet kiss.

Fin

The final chapter of Love's Curse is finally here! Thanks to all of you who have read this, it truly means a lot to me that so many people like my writing. Feel free to PM me at any time! I write a lot of Hetalia fanfic, but also a lot of others as well. If there's something you'd like to see, let me know and I'll see if I have what you're looking for!

I realized that I forgot my disclaimer in the beginning, so here it is:

I own nothing! I swear! If I did, something similar to this would SO happen in the show!