The morning began quietly enough, Matthew thought as he woke up in the guest bedroom of his brother's house in Colorado. Ivan was still asleep, and Matthew was content to leave him that way. The Russian hadn't been getting enough sleep lately anyhow, and Kyle and Alfred were loud enough when put together to wake up an entire circus.

So Matthew was a little surprised to find Kyle already sipping at a cup of coffee when he entered the kitchen. "Morning."

"Morning. I put some blueberries in the fridge to defrost last night. Thought maybe blueberry pancakes might be nice."

"You did it because they're Alfred's favorite." Matthew said with a smile, taking a cup of coffee for himself and taking a few sips before nodding. "Good coffee."

"Thanks."

He nodded, and soon enough he was whipping up pancake batter. The first rays of predawn light were coming over the landscape, casting things in a faint grey glow. "How long have you been awake, Oz?"

A shrug. Matthew paused. "Did you and Al get into a fight?"

"No. Had a nightmare. Needed to think for a while."

"A nightmare about?"

"Gallipoli."

Matthew almost whirled at that. Kyle was gazing out the window with tired eyes. It was hard to remember how young he was, at least mentally. Any history he might have held before England had arrived had been wiped away, leaving a blank slate for the empire to work with. As far as Kyle knew, Gallipoli had been part of the first war he had fought as an independent nation.

And what a part it had been.

Matthew rubbed his aching head as he thought back to Ypres. "So watching the sunrise? Is it helping?"

"The coffee's doing more good than the sunrise." Came the response, and then a sigh. "God, I've almost been dating that idiot for a hundred years now. Can you believe it?"

A laugh. "Yeah. Since 1917, right?"

"From Turkey to Europe I went, and boy, when he arrived... ah, that was a bittersweet time to absolutely fall for him, and fall hard."

Matthew chuckled. "At least it wasn't like me and Ivan..."

Kyle glanced up. "Huh?"

"I had gone west into Alaska during Alfred's civil war. The noise bothered me, so there I went. That's when I met Ivan. I was still a colony then, you know."

Kyle nodded.

"God, we ran around together for about three years, with him occasionally going south to express his support to the Union and such, until the war ended. Then he and I went back north. He was looking to sell Alaska, and he offered it to me. I wanted it because I would be right across the sea from him, and being there was like being with him. But as a colony, England had to buy it, and he refused. So he went to his next buyer."

"Alfred."

"Alfred. He was the one who had bullied France and England about their neutral position during the war, insisting on the reunification of the states under the Union. Alfred was glad to take him up on the offer. And so, months before I would have gained my independence, they finalized the deal, and I was left behind without so much as a kiss for a promise that he would keep me in his thoughts."

Kyle raised an eyebrow at that. "Not even a kiss?"

"I was England's colony and property. He didn't really want to piss him off. Hell, England didn't even know I'd even met Russia during all those years, although I expect old Uncle Scot had his suspicions."

Kyle chuckled. "Together since the US Civil War, without even a kiss. Makes me and Alfred seem like a fast tracked match in comparison."

"Only because you had to kiss the idiot to get across the point that you liked him." Matthew said with a laugh as the first rays of the sun came over the horizon.

"I was a bit dense, but he was denser."

"You are right about that." Matthew said, returning to the pancake batter. "Set the table, will you?"

When America and Russia woke up, breakfast had been prepared.

They had decorated the place to the max for the 'awkward holiday affair' as Alfred had nicknamed it, or and Kyle and Matthew called it, the 'Former Colonies and their dates Christmas Party'. Guests would start arriving soon enough, as tomorrow was the big day.

"I don't know why I let you rope me into this, Mattie." Alfred grumbled. "This started out as a commonwealth thing, and I'm not a member of the Commonwealth."

"Because we expanded it to include former colonies. I was tired of automatically getting railroaded whenever it was North America's turn to host."

A chuckle rose from Kyle. "Yeah, all the rules about railroading got thrown to the side for you two."

"Don't be so smug. Oceania hosts next year, and word is you got chosen." Ivan said as he lifted a garland over something.

Australia froze. "If you don't attend the December commonwealth meeting you can't be elected to host the party, unless you're part of the North American region."

Matthew glared at Ivan. "You weren't supposed to tell him."

Kyle stood there, and Alfred watched him process this information, suddenly bristling. "Alright, which of the kids stood in for me at the meeting?"

"Wy. Got the feeling she was a bit miffed her dad was spending the holidays with his boyfriend rather than her. And New Zealand seconded the nomination."

Kyle groaned. "I swear to god..."

Alfred snorted. "I guess whatever favors you owe him for this month off of child rearing are started to be paid back."

"I'm gonna punch that kiwi when they show up here tomorrow." Kyle groaned, setting another decoration down.

Later that night, they drove out to town to visit a restaurant. As they walked along the sidewalk after eating, laughing and looking at the lights, Kyle noticed something.

"Alfred, where the fuck is your hat?"

"Didn't need one!" The American said, which Kyle knew was a bunch of bullshit.

He rolled his eyes and waited. Slowly those ears started to turn bright pink.

Ivan and Matthew were a short ways ahead, completely oblivious. A strong gust of wind went by, and Kyle stopped Alfred.

"Alright, I have a hood on my coat. You are wearing this." He snapped, yanking off his beanie that showed his flag and shoving it over Alfred's ears.

"Kyle, what are you-"

"Your ears will thank me later, even if your ego doesn't." Kyle said, snapping up his own hood and tightening it around his face.

There was a pause, and then a laugh. "Hah! You put your mark on me. Just like the winter of 1918-1919, except in reverse."

"Huh?"

"Don't you remember?" Alfred said with a smile. "You had stepped outside to take a smoke break."

"Oh." Kyle said, closing his eyes and thinking back to that day.

Kyle had stormed past the others when he saw them bring Ottoman in. Let New Zealand recount the horrors of Gallipoli. He wanted nothing to do with this.

While he had finally told Canada what had happened in that cursed place, he could still feel the ache that campaign had left inside him, and the scar that was barely beginning to heal across his nose.

He had just lit a cigarette when he heard the sound of boots walking through the snow.
"You don't have the right type of jacket to be out here."

Kyle glanced up at the smiling American. "Needed to clear my head and feel the cold." He said, taking a long drag and closing his eyes.

"Kyle, you talked to Matt and Arthur. Maybe you should talk to-"

The Australian shot him a glare, and Alfred backed down. "Sorry. Not my place."

"I appreciate the concern, Al. I just... I just want to go home. I want this bloody war to be done."

The American nodded. "So do I."

They stood there for a few more seconds, and then Kyle felt arms wrap around him. "If you're not careful, England will see." He muttered.

"Still haven't told him, huh?" Alfred said.

"No. Still considers me a baby. I might be independent, but our relationship could be hard to take any further if he really takes objection to it."

Alfred snorts. "Oh, I'm a bad influence, huh?" A chuckle. "Well, he's bound to be out here shortly. I think I'll talk to him about it."

And before Kyle could object, he heard a door open. Alfred half draped his coat over Kyle before waltzing towards the delegation of siblings from the U.K. He grabbed Arthur's arm and pulled him aside. Scotland shooed Wales away and stood nearby, listening.

The first time both his eyes and Arthur's eyes darted towards Kyle, he knew Alfred had just told them. He wished that the American's coat wasn't so distinctive as he tried to ignore the biting cold that he remained unaccustomed to.

He waited for a scuffle or a fight to break out, but instead he saw England suddenly nod, and then walk towards him. He stiffened, especially when Alfred stopped Alistair from following.

Arthur came right up to Kyle and sighed. "Him? Out of everyone in the world, you had to choose him?"

Kyle could still feel the power in those limbs, the strength of an empire. Arms that had held him firm for years. There was a pressure to cave into that sense of power. A pressure that had been forced into him for years due to his colony status.

He resisted it, standing tall. "I always reminded you of him anyhow."

There was a soft intake of breath from the Brit, and then a soft chuckle. "Scotland tell you that?"

Australia felt nervous as England chuckled, and then he smiled.

"Well, you have that same sort of independent streak as he did. You just manifested it differently. If you could really be convinced to break it off with him, you already would have said so. Anything I say to oppose the idea will just make you cling to it more firmly."

He turned to leave, and Australia spoke.

"So you're... you're okay with it?"

England didn't face him again, but his voice spoke in volumes enough.

"I know my own son well enough to know he would never hurt you on purpose. And I know you well enough to know that if he does hurt you, you aren't going to let him do it a second time. If this is what you want, it is what you want. Just... be smart."

"Love you too, dad." Kyle said. Another chuckle rose from the Englishman, and then he continued to walk towards his older brother.

He and Scotland conferred for a few moments, and then Scotland looked at America as England headed to find Wales. Kyle couldn't tell what he was saying, but America nodded solemnly.

Then Scotland patted him on the shoulder and turned to give Kyle a big grin along with a thumbs up before turning and heading after his two brothers.

Alfred walked over and chuckled, lighting his own cigarette. "Well, that went a lot better than it might of."

"Next time, jackass? Give me more than three seconds of warning!" Kyle snapped, storming inside, still wearing Alfred's jacket.

When New Zealand and France saw that, they both smirked.

"I guess it's a bit like that day." Kyle said.

"My jacket made it clear to England I loved you. Now your hat makes it clear to the world you love me." Alfred said, flashing him a vibrant grin.

"How is it I manage to boost your ego when I was trying to bruise it?" Kyle said dryly, but Alfred just laughed, grabbing his hand and holding it all the tighter as they continued their walk.

And when Ivan pointed out the Australian flag, the American just chuckled as they got into the car. Kyle shook his head and smiled.

My idiot American indeed.