His eyes flick back up. Soft curls tucked into a low bun, -save for one that stubbornly stuck out from the rest. Pale skin- pale like artic snow and always slightly cool to the touch. Glasses perched on her nose -glasses that he accidentally broke once and Lars had to spend the rest of the day guiding him around by the elbow-
Oh god. It can’t-
He’s not the only one who has noticed the new arrival. In fact the room has gone deadly silently as hundreds of eyes follow the newcomer begins to make her way across the room. She doesn’t get more than a half dozen steps when someone coughs, loudly, and the face snaps up, eyes wide.
Lars’ heart stops.
He knows those eyes.
He’s seen those eyes happy. He’s seen them angry. He’s seen them bright with excitement or clouded in pain. He’s seen them filled with tears of mirth and tears of sorrow. Some days he thinks he knows those eyes better than his own.
Lars watches the blood drain from Matthew’s face as he (she?) becomes aware of the multitude of eyes tracking his (her?) every movement. Her steps falter as she pauses. The room is deathly still. Matthew, clutching the folder so tightly now her knuckles are going white, takes one small step backward, then another, and turns abruptly and flees the room entirely. Kumajirou opts not to follow his master, instead continuing on his way until he reaches Canada’s chair, curling up underneath it and promptly falling asleep.
The room watches him in silence.
A muted commotion at the door has every eye on it once again as it opens to admit two people this time instead of one. Matthew is back, but this time she is tucked up against the side of the United States of America, who has one hand firmly placed in the small of her back and is whispering continually in her ear as he guides her reluctantly across the room towards the two empty seats.
Alfred pulls out his and drops into it with all of his usual careless grace. Beside him, Matthew takes a deep breath and pulls back the chair reserved for Canada (the sound of chair legs against the tile floor is amplified a hundredfold in the silent room) and sinks quietly into it.
Alfred turns to the rest of the room. His eyes are bright and his grin is megawatt as he faces the assembled nations.
“Hey.”
Pandemonium erupts.
__
Needless to say, nothing much in the way of international affairs was accomplished much afternoon.
Oh they had tried, of course. After America had announced to the room that yes, this was the nation of Canada and yes, he was fully aware that he was a girl, and no, they don’t know why and anyone caught poking or prodding his twin was going to loose the hand- Germany had tried to steer the meeting back on course, but most nations seemed to opt for staring at Matthew rather than pay attention. Often eyes would start on the current speaker, only to slide off towards the artic nation.
Matthew had buried her face in her arms and stayed there, refusing to get up until she and Alfred were the only ones left in the room.
Lars, for his part, hadn’t even bothered to attempt to pay attention, instead spending the entire meeting covertly staring (he didn’t dare outwardly stare, not with Margot and Lux right there) at his best friend. His brain had still yet to come up with a rational thought regarding the situation.
Re: One more Step (2c/?)
His eyes flick back up. Soft curls tucked into a low bun, -save for one that stubbornly stuck out from the rest. Pale skin- pale like artic snow and always slightly cool to the touch. Glasses perched on her nose -glasses that he accidentally broke once and Lars had to spend the rest of the day guiding him around by the elbow-
Oh god. It can’t-
He’s not the only one who has noticed the new arrival. In fact the room has gone deadly silently as hundreds of eyes follow the newcomer begins to make her way across the room. She doesn’t get more than a half dozen steps when someone coughs, loudly, and the face snaps up, eyes wide.
Lars’ heart stops.
He knows those eyes.
He’s seen those eyes happy. He’s seen them angry. He’s seen them bright with excitement or clouded in pain. He’s seen them filled with tears of mirth and tears of sorrow. Some days he thinks he knows those eyes better than his own.
Lars watches the blood drain from Matthew’s face as he (she?) becomes aware of the multitude of eyes tracking his (her?) every movement. Her steps falter as she pauses. The room is deathly still. Matthew, clutching the folder so tightly now her knuckles are going white, takes one small step backward, then another, and turns abruptly and flees the room entirely. Kumajirou opts not to follow his master, instead continuing on his way until he reaches Canada’s chair, curling up underneath it and promptly falling asleep.
The room watches him in silence.
A muted commotion at the door has every eye on it once again as it opens to admit two people this time instead of one. Matthew is back, but this time she is tucked up against the side of the United States of America, who has one hand firmly placed in the small of her back and is whispering continually in her ear as he guides her reluctantly across the room towards the two empty seats.
Alfred pulls out his and drops into it with all of his usual careless grace. Beside him, Matthew takes a deep breath and pulls back the chair reserved for Canada (the sound of chair legs against the tile floor is amplified a hundredfold in the silent room) and sinks quietly into it.
Alfred turns to the rest of the room. His eyes are bright and his grin is megawatt as he faces the assembled nations.
“Hey.”
Pandemonium erupts.
__
Needless to say, nothing much in the way of international affairs was accomplished much afternoon.
Oh they had tried, of course. After America had announced to the room that yes, this was the nation of Canada and yes, he was fully aware that he was a girl, and no, they don’t know why and anyone caught poking or prodding his twin was going to loose the hand- Germany had tried to steer the meeting back on course, but most nations seemed to opt for staring at Matthew rather than pay attention. Often eyes would start on the current speaker, only to slide off towards the artic nation.
Matthew had buried her face in her arms and stayed there, refusing to get up until she and Alfred were the only ones left in the room.
Lars, for his part, hadn’t even bothered to attempt to pay attention, instead spending the entire meeting covertly staring (he didn’t dare outwardly stare, not with Margot and Lux right there) at his best friend. His brain had still yet to come up with a rational thought regarding the situation.