This chapter was inspired by the song 'Stutter' by Marianas Trench.

Stutter

Canada opened the front door and blinked in surprise.

Prussia stood on the porch, soaking wet and staring intently at his own shoes. He looked lost. Canada took in his dishevelled appearance and smiled in understanding. He stepped aside and let Prussia into his house.

Prussia raised a hand in greeting, caught somewhere between embarrassment and alarm. His cheeks were pink.

"Gilbert? What are you doing here?"

Prussia scratched the back of his head and shrugged his shoulders.

"I… Uhm, I have no idea." And it was true. He had no idea why he had teleported to another country, travelling between dimensions as only a nation could, just to see his best friend. He had been anxious and upset and it had just seemed right at the time.

Now that he was there, though, he could not remember what had upset him in the first place. All of his tension had evaporated the second Canada opened the door.

Canada handed him a towel from the linen closet. It was pouring outside and he was drenched. He had lingered on the porch for almost an hour before working up the courage to ring the doorbell.

He dried his face and tried to give the towel back. Canada just laughed. He swooped in and smothered him with it, roughly towelling his dripping hair.

"No idea, eh? Alright then; come in. I have beer."

Canada led the way to the den and Prussia trailed after him, wondering why Canada was not asking more questions.

He tossed Prussia a beer and sank into the worn, tartan sofa next to the fireplace. He gestured for Prussia to do the same.

"You're okay with this?"

Canada opened his beer on the edge of the coffee table and took a sip.

"Okay with what?"

"This," Prussia pointed at himself. "Me. Showing up at one in the morning on a Tuesday."

Canada chuckled warmly.

"Gilbert, how long have we known each other? I've come to expect the unexpected when it comes to you."

Prussia studied him, looking for some hidden resentment or worse, but no, Canada seemed content. He opened his own beer.

"… Were you sleeping?" He asked, curious.

"Nah. Kumajirou stole all of my left socks."

Prussia frowned.

"… And you couldn't sleep because of that…?"

"No. I have to know where he hid them," Canada pouted. He said it as if the answer were obvious. "It'll bother me otherwise."

Prussia threw his head back and laughed and laughed, forgetting the last of his uneasiness. Canada always had that affect on him. He seemed quiet and unobtrusive at first but he was wonderfully strange and ridiculous and so much fun to be around.

He was always willing to lend a hand or to listen; he worked hard and played hard and everything in between. He laughed easily and almost never cried, even when he had every excuse. He could be kind and gentle in one breath and aggressive in the next.

He was awesome and Prussia loved him for…

Prussia abruptly stopped laughing.

What the hell was that?! He 'loved' him?! … Did he?

Prussia thought about it.

Oh… Oh, he did. He was in love with Canada. He was in love...

And he had been for a long time.

Fuck.

"Gilbert? Gilbert?! What's wrong? You're bright red." Canada leaned in close and tested his temperature with the back of his hand. Prussia flinched.

"I'm F-f-f-fine!"

"You don't look fine…" Canada cocked his head to the side and scooted even closer. Prussia tried to back up but there was nowhere else to go. The sofa was only so big.

"I… I should leave."

"Nonsense," Canada scoffed. "I think you might be coming down with something. How long were you standing out in the rain?"

Prussia swallowed. Hard.

"I really, really think I should go."

"And I said 'no'. Stay the night."

Prussia watched his lips move, realizing for the first time just how sculpted and perfect they were.

"… I think that's a bad idea…" Prussia whispered, licking his own lips and swaying a little closer. It felt like the world was spinning.

"I just…" Canada trailed off. "Are you sure you're not…?"

And then Prussia kissed him.

It was a little sloppy at first; their noses bumped and their teeth clicked, but they found a rhythm soon enough. Canada mewled and clutched at his shoulders, kissing back for all he was worth. Prussia ran his hands under his sweater and over his chest.

Their half finished beer bottles sat forgotten on the coffee table.

Prussia pulled back, reluctantly, and looked at Canada. He was flushed and breathing hard. He was staring at Prussia with a mix of confusion, happiness, and unadulterated lust.

That was…

Oh shit. Shit, shit, shit. Damn! Prussia blinked and realized what he had done. He had changed the rules. No, worse, he had changed the whole fucking game.

"I s-s-s-should go home," Prussia scrambled backwards and made for the door, feeling flustered and foolish. He should not have done that... He might have ruined everything! Oh, he was such an idiot!

Canada lunged forward and grabbed Prussia's wrist before he could go too far, pulling him into his lap. Canada held his face between his hands and searched his eyes, looking for something.

He sighed when he found it, whatever 'it' was.

"It's too late to go," Canada said. "Stay."

"B-b-b-but…"

Canada touched their noses together. He kissed him gently.

"Stay," he said again. "Please."

So Prussia did.

Author's Notes:

Oh, Prussia… Why are you so delightfully awkward and thickheaded? Seriously. Also, it bothers me when my socks are missing. I can't sleep at night. I mean, where do they go?