What is... "Home?" (Hetalia Fanfic, W.A. '13 Finalist)

Chapter 97~!

So here's the thing: I was browsing through the library because I was bored, and I wandered into the reference section on a complete whim. Sitting there on a shelf between two sets of encyclopedias was a World History textbook, sticking out just enough to catch my attention. I pulled it down and started leafing through it, not sure I would find anything interesting.

Boy, was I wrong.

"Whoa, this is everyone's pasts!" I said in a loud whisper, flipping through the section about France and Napoleon Bonaparte. I stopped and read the list of countries Napoleon had conquered. "Holy... He had a harem! An actual freakin' harem!"

~~~

The next room I ventured into was the recreation room, the newly-checked out textbook under my arm. I spotted France with Prussia and Spain near the flat-screen television and walked over, standing over them without them noticing.

Prussia stiffened and turned, yelping when he saw me staring at them. "Creeper!"

I laughed and held up my textbook. "A creeper with knowledge. Muwahahahaha~!"

Their eyes all widened. "What do you 'ave zhere, ma cheri?" France purred, taking the book from me and staring at the title. "Zh-Zhis is-!"

"Yup," I interrupted, snatching it back. "You really had a harem back then, hmm?"

France sputtered, his silver tongue for once useless. "N-Non, whatever are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," I said with a smirk. "Boy, this'll be an interesting read." On that note, I left them in favor of going back to my room and lying down on my bed to read my newest reading acquisition.

~~~

"Are you reading a textbook?" Canada asked when he came in bearing our two bears and Zip on his leash. "What is that aboot?"

"I'm just doing a little pleasure reading," I replied as I turned the page. I'd started at the beginning and was currently browsing China and Japan in the medieval times. "This is a lot more interesting given the fact that I know these people."

"A history book?" Canada guessed as he sat on the bed and leaned over me to get a look at the page. "Huh. I didn't see that one coming, eh?"

I giggled and turned the page again. "Me neither. I was just in the library and then boom! Textbook was saying "Pick me, come on! Blackmail material!", so I grabbed it and checked it out."

Canada's face paled. "D-Do you have anything over me?"

I shook my head before looking up at him. "Should I? I haven't come to anything about you yet, but that's because I'm in the medieval times currently."

He sighed in relief. "Good."

"Whyyy is that good? Come on, tell me!" I whined, gripping his arm and shaking it like a little kid. "Is there something... you don't want me to find out about you?"

He shook his head and pecked my cheek. "No, no, but I'd hate to think what your brain would think of when you read some of the things in everyone's pasts."

I laughed. "You mean like France's harem? I already read that, but it wasn't too surprising, honestly."

Canada chuckled and stood, going to his closet to change. "Are you excited for the school trip in two weeks?"

I jumped up, textbook forgotten for the moment. "Of course! I can't wait to do all that cool nature-y stuff!"

"You sounded so intelligent right there," my boyfriend said sarcastically yet jokingly as he pulled on his sleeping shirt.

"Hey! You know what I mean. Hiking, categorizing plants and trees, spending all that time in the woods; it's gonna be epic!"

Biology was my favorite class for two reasons: I was really good in that class, and I just had fun there. I knew so much and did well without really having to try. Who wouldn't love that class if it was so entertaining and easy?

"I agree, I can't wait to be back home," Canada said happily.

I cocked my head to the side in confusion. "What?"

"You didn't know? We're going to Canada for the trip! British Columbia, to be more precise. I'll feel so much better when I'm back on my own ground."

"You don't like being here?" I asked, watching him sit on my bed and pick up my textbook.

"I do, I suppose. It's just not like home. Every country prefers their homeland to any other place in the world, it's just how it is. Actually, we can't be away from it for too long. Otherwise we get really weak and lose a lot of our power. We almost turn into humans, just without the aging. I know because it happened to Papa a long time ago when he was visiting me. His ship couldn't sail back to Europe for the entire winter because of the bad weather, and he got weaker the longer he stayed. It was scary, actually, for a little kid like me."

I hugged him, resting my head on his shoulder. "I'll bet. You don't think I'm more like a human because I haven't been home for a long time, wherever home is for me?"

"It's possible," Canada replied softly. "But you seem fine to me, and that's by a country's judgment, not just a person. I think you're fine where you are, at least for now."

I tried not to get a little queasy over the added "for now" in his sentence. "Let's hope so, eh?"

"I thought we agreed that was my word?"

"Did we, eh?"

"Melina..."

"What's got your knickers in a knot, eh?"

He tackled me to the bed and pinned me down, using his hands to tickle my sensitive sides. I screeched and writhed, trying to make him stop futilely. "Mattie Mattie noooo! Okay okay I'll stop! Ahahahaha!"

Canada pulled me up and pecked my cheek with a low "Muwahahahahaha~!"

"Alright, you win. I admit defeat. Nothing can stop you, Matthew Williams."

"Damn straight."

------------------------------------------------

Apologies for MOAH filler. The real plot will be along shortly. Merci for COMMENTING VOTING ADDING + AND FAAAAAAAAAAAAANNIIIIIIIIIIIING~!!!! X3