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Description
Matthew Williams sat near his windowsill and gazed at the sight outside. Snow was slowly falling down from the sky, with glimpses of snowflakes here and there. Homes were heavily decorated with blinking lights and despite the cold air that dominated the atmosphere, one could hear the distinct sounds of laughter and merry-making – all clear signs of the holiday taking place.

It was finally the Christmas season.

The Canadian sighed. Despite it being his favorite holiday, he did not seem to look at it as much of a "merry" Christmas at the time. He was all alone in his home, the box of decorations ignored and the tree not even set up yet. He normally filled his house with tinsel and lights as early as possible, his enthusiasm for the season sometimes being compared to that of his Finnish friend, Tino.

One thing Matthew always looked forward to during the holiday was the time he could spend with his family and friends. Although it did sound cliché, it was only during this time of the year that he really felt noticed, and he did not want to miss it for the world.

But this year was different. Unfortunately, those who usually did visit him for Christmas – namely his brother, Alfred,  Arthur, Francis and the occasional Ivan – were piled up with holiday work and won't be able to come over. He received profuse apologies and promises to be there before new year, which the Canadian, of course, kindly accepted.

'Looks like this Christmas is gonna be a pretty lonely one, Mattie.' He thought, bringing himself to settle on the couch as he aimlessly flicked through the channels on his TV. After an hour of watching a Christmas special (he didn't have much of a choice since the rest of the channels were littered with them) a knock on the door perked him up and got him off of his sofa.

Wondering who the heck could be visiting him at this time, Matthew lazily walked to his front door and look through the peephole – only to duck down not a millisecond later.

'OHGODOHGODOHGODOHGOD. WHAT IS SHE DOING HERE?!'

Another knock was heard. "Matvey? Matvey, are you home?"

"Y-Yes I am! Uhh…just, ah, j-just a minute!"

The Canadian dashed across his living room and began picking bits and pieces of trash, pizza boxes, and empty take-out cartons, stuffing them into the nearest trash can he could find. He turned off his TV and arranged the disarray of couch cushions as well as dumping all of his dirty dishes in the sink. Washing them will have to be put off until later.

"Matvey?"

"Ah, yeah, be there in a second!" he replied, finishing his mad dash around the first floor of his house as he located his pet bear Kumakushi, no, Kumajima…Kuma – whatever, he'll remember later.

After dusting himself off and taking a deep breath, he opened the door revealing a shivering woman, covered head to toe in garments to help keep her warm. She had platinum blonde, boy-cut hair, her bright violet eyes and soft smile giving off a certain aura of warmth despite the chilly weather.

And it just so happened that this shivering woman was Matthew's long-time, unrequited crush.

"K-Katyusha! Hehe, wh-what are you doing here? I thought you were with Ivan back in Russia…"

"Brother is doing well enough to not need my help around the house for now. Besides, our other sister, Natalia, volunteered to keep him company…although he seemed to be quite uncomfortable about it. Oh, and Matvey?" the woman stated, her distinct Ukrainian accent tainting her words. Matthew on the other hand seemed to snap out of a trance once he heard his name.

"Y-yes?"

"May I come in? It's quite cold out here…"

"Oh my God, of course! I am so sorry! C-come in, come in!" he stepped aside for the Ukrainian girl to enter, mentally kicking himself for his forgetfulness.

'Stupidstupidstupidstupidstupidstu-'

"Matvey?"

"Yeah, Kat?"

She was in the middle of the living room, looking skeptically around. Matthew followed her and beckoned the girl to sit.

"I-If you don't mind me asking…where are your Christmas decorations? Brother told me you always put a lot around your house during this time of the year."

The Canadian sat across from her and fiddled with his sweater, not knowing whether to be embarrassed about the dreary surroundings of his home or flattered that Ivan actually talks about him with Katyusha.

"Oh…you see, I'm not really in the mood this Christmas...what with my friends not being able to visit and all. By the way, I'm really sorry for not answering the door any earlier. I was…uhh…I was…in the shower. Yeah. I was taking a shower."

"But your hair isn't wet-"

"ARE YOU PARCHED? I-I sure as hell am parched! Want s-something to drink? Haha, heh, I'll g-go get something to drink…"

The Canadian suddenly dashed off towards the kitchen and to Katyusha's surprise, leaving the girl alone to contemplate on her friend's odd behavior.

Meanwhile, Matthew was browsing through the refrigerator, trying to cool off his heated face with the cold air from the appliance.

'Taking a shower. God, that was a stupid excuse. Seriously Mattie?'

Pulling out two glasses from the cupboard and a bottle of wine from Francis (which was pretty much the only drink he had left. He reminded himself to go get the groceries soon), the blond approached his guest and sat down across from her once again, setting the wine and glasses on the center table between them.

"I hope you like white wine. S-Sorry, but it's the only one I've got in here."

Katyusha smiled and nodded - not to mention melting Matthew's heart right there - and took a short sip after he poured some in her glass.

"It's fine. I am actually quite fond of this wine. French, if I'm not mistaken?"

Matthew, who was desperately trying to stop blushing (every single damn time) the Ukrainian smiled, let alone looked at him, nodded and took a sip with his as well.

"So…K-Katyusha…what made you come all the way here?"

To his surprise, the girl blushed, and tried to cover it up with another smile. "W-Well, ever since I heard brother would not be able to pay you a visit, I thought, maybe, I could instead. Besides, it has been quite a long time since we have…err, what do you say? 'Hung out'? Yes, that. Which reminds me…"

Opening up her bag, Katyusha pulled out a white box and topped off with a little red bow.

"Ivan wanted me to give this to you, since he could not do it himself. It's from the three of us siblings." She handed the box over to Matthew, whose face tickled pink at their thoughtfulness.

"Kat…I…thank you…"

"Go on, open it."

He did as he was told and was  surprised to see a small expensive-looking frame containing a picture of him and the three siblings outside in the snow. It was taken back in Russia about a year ago when he dropped by on business terms. That day was actually one of the most fun he had had.

"Wow…Katyusha, I…I don't know what to say…"

"It was brother's idea. Since both of you barely get the chance to see each other, he wanted to give you something to remember us by. You know, he sees you as one of his closest friends."

At this, the Canadian looked up at her surprisingly. "Really, he said that?" She nodded. "Well, tell him…tell him I said thank you and that I really appreciate it. Seriously, this is very nice of you."

Katyusha smiled and told him she would tell Ivan, all the while sporting a pink tinge – something that went unnoticed by her host.

"Oh God, now I feel guilty. I don't have anything to give you, or your brother and sister!"

"It's okay, Matvey. I don't mind. If anything, I should be feeling guilty for intruding upon you so late at night."

"No, that's totally fine! I wasn't busy anyway, so I really appreciate the company…"

They grew silent for a moment until Katyusha piped up.

"Matvey…I was wondering…why is your house not decorated for Christmas? And don't you usually have a few guests during these days?"

He sighed. Katyusha then told him not to answer if it was too personal but he smiled and waved it off.

"You see, my usual guests suddenly got busy and, just like your brother, were not able to drop by to celebrate. I guess I was just looking forward  to it too much that it was kinda a let-down when they told me the bad news. I wasn't really into the Christmas spirit after that."

The Canadian let out another sigh and slumped his shoulders, only to tense up as he felt a warm hand on his. Looking up, he noticed that Katyusha sat beside him this time.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Matvey…not all holidays turn out perfect. Sometimes, luck just isn't on your side, even on these special times of the year. But, that's just life, isn't it?"

She offered him a sweet smile and he returned it with one of his own, unknowingly intertwining their hands. They stayed in a comfortable silence for a few moments until the two took notice of their position and shyed away – their hands letting go of the other's, but remaining beside each other towards the rest of the night.

It wasn't until an hour or so of light chatting (and the occasional blushing and spluttering, courtesy of both parties) that Katyusha finally let out a yawn. It was midnight, Matthew noticed as he glanced at the wall clock, and stood up to clear out the glasses and now empty wine bottle.

Katyusha stood up as well, picking up her bag and straightening her sweater.

"So, do you have a place to stay for the night?" Matthew asked from the kitchen, adding the glasses to the pile of dirty dishes on his sink.

"Oh, yes I do. I checked in a hotel just a short walk from here."

He exited the kitchen and followed the Ukrainian to the front door.

"I could escort you there if you want…"

"No, I'll be fine. You have been a very gracious host, Matvey, and I wouldn't want to take more of your time."

"But Ka-"

She patted his shoulder and shook her head, another blush tainting her cheeks. "I'll be okay Matvey. Thank you again for having me over."

An awkward silence overcame the two as they tried to think of a more eloquent way to say goodbye. Sounds from the surrounding homes' merrymaking was all they could hear until Matthew shuffled his feet.

'C'mon Matthew. It's the least you can do. She came here to keep you company. Do it, dammit, do it.'

"Katyusha…c-could I ask you a question?"

Concern flashed on the Ukrainians eyes as she faced him and nodded. "Of course."

"W-Will you…uhhh…" mentally cursing himself for stuttering and willing for his blush to go away, Matthew took a deep breath. 'If Alfred was in my place, he would've blurted it out by now.'

"Matvey, are you okay?"

"Y-yeah, yeah I'm fine! I just…ugh, I know this is gonna sound horrible but, Kat…I've l-like you for a while now...you know, in a…err…more-than-friend-way, and…God, I'm no good at this..."

He blushed and averted his eyes in embarrassment, not catching the way Katyusha's cheeks became a dark shade of red as well. He scratched the back of his neck, thinking of a better way to word his thoughts.

"I wanted to know if…uhh…y-you would go ou-"

"I'm free tomorrow, if you'd like."

The Ukrainian's words startled Matthew enough to look at her and silence yet again draped over the two.

"Wh-what do you mea-"

"There's a café near my hotel and I was planning to visit there sometime soon…we could have our d-date there…if you'd like, that is."

Matthew had to force himself not to break into a dopey grin. Instead, he settled for a warm smile that got Katyusha to blush more.

"I-I'd love to, Kat. So…I'll pick you up at 6?" She nodded and turned to walk away – that was, until she decided to press a chaste kiss on Matthew's cheek.

"Oh…and I - I like you too, Matvey."

The platinum blonde then turned and headed off into the chilly night, leaving a rather stunned and Canadian.

Matthew's Christmas was finally brightening up.

~*~*~*~

OMAKE!

Meanwhile, in a bush somewhere near Matthew's house…

"Ohonhonhon~ our dear Matthieu is growing up."

"Seriously, only on the cheek? And here I thought Mattie could be getting laid…"

"Don't rush the boy, you git!"

"Whose idea was this anyway? I could be eating some Christmas ham right now!"

"Ah, mon ami, you should feel happy for your brother! We helped him find l'amour~"

"Oh yeah, when do we tell the dude we kinda lied about being busy and set them up instead?"

"Uhm…we don't. Simple as that."

END

Description
Matthew Williams sat near his windowsill and gazed at the sight outside. Snow was slowly falling down from the sky, with glimpses of snowflakes here and there. Homes were heavily decorated with blinking lights and despite the cold air that dominated the atmosphere, one could hear the distinct sounds of laughter and merry-making – all clear signs of the holiday taking place.

It was finally the Christmas season.

The Canadian sighed. Despite it being his favorite holiday, he did not seem to look at it as much of a "merry" Christmas at the time. He was all alone in his home, the box of decorations ignored and the tree not even set up yet. He normally filled his house with tinsel and lights as early as possible, his enthusiasm for the season sometimes being compared to that of his Finnish friend, Tino.

One thing Matthew always looked forward to during the holiday was the time he could spend with his family and friends. Although it did sound cliché, it was only during this time of the year that he really felt noticed, and he did not want to miss it for the world.

But this year was different. Unfortunately, those who usually did visit him for Christmas – namely his brother, Alfred,  Arthur, Francis and the occasional Ivan – were piled up with holiday work and won't be able to come over. He received profuse apologies and promises to be there before new year, which the Canadian, of course, kindly accepted.

'Looks like this Christmas is gonna be a pretty lonely one, Mattie.' He thought, bringing himself to settle on the couch as he aimlessly flicked through the channels on his TV. After an hour of watching a Christmas special (he didn't have much of a choice since the rest of the channels were littered with them) a knock on the door perked him up and got him off of his sofa.

Wondering who the heck could be visiting him at this time, Matthew lazily walked to his front door and look through the peephole – only to duck down not a millisecond later.

'OHGODOHGODOHGODOHGOD. WHAT IS SHE DOING HERE?!'

Another knock was heard. "Matvey? Matvey, are you home?"

"Y-Yes I am! Uhh…just, ah, j-just a minute!"

The Canadian dashed across his living room and began picking bits and pieces of trash, pizza boxes, and empty take-out cartons, stuffing them into the nearest trash can he could find. He turned off his TV and arranged the disarray of couch cushions as well as dumping all of his dirty dishes in the sink. Washing them will have to be put off until later.

"Matvey?"

"Ah, yeah, be there in a second!" he replied, finishing his mad dash around the first floor of his house as he located his pet bear Kumakushi, no, Kumajima…Kuma – whatever, he'll remember later.

After dusting himself off and taking a deep breath, he opened the door revealing a shivering woman, covered head to toe in garments to help keep her warm. She had platinum blonde, boy-cut hair, her bright violet eyes and soft smile giving off a certain aura of warmth despite the chilly weather.

And it just so happened that this shivering woman was Matthew's long-time, unrequited crush.

"K-Katyusha! Hehe, wh-what are you doing here? I thought you were with Ivan back in Russia…"

"Brother is doing well enough to not need my help around the house for now. Besides, our other sister, Natalia, volunteered to keep him company…although he seemed to be quite uncomfortable about it. Oh, and Matvey?" the woman stated, her distinct Ukrainian accent tainting her words. Matthew on the other hand seemed to snap out of a trance once he heard his name.

"Y-yes?"

"May I come in? It's quite cold out here…"

"Oh my God, of course! I am so sorry! C-come in, come in!" he stepped aside for the Ukrainian girl to enter, mentally kicking himself for his forgetfulness.

'Stupidstupidstupidstupidstupidstu-'

"Matvey?"

"Yeah, Kat?"

She was in the middle of the living room, looking skeptically around. Matthew followed her and beckoned the girl to sit.

"I-If you don't mind me asking…where are your Christmas decorations? Brother told me you always put a lot around your house during this time of the year."

The Canadian sat across from her and fiddled with his sweater, not knowing whether to be embarrassed about the dreary surroundings of his home or flattered that Ivan actually talks about him with Katyusha.

"Oh…you see, I'm not really in the mood this Christmas...what with my friends not being able to visit and all. By the way, I'm really sorry for not answering the door any earlier. I was…uhh…I was…in the shower. Yeah. I was taking a shower."

"But your hair isn't wet-"

"ARE YOU PARCHED? I-I sure as hell am parched! Want s-something to drink? Haha, heh, I'll g-go get something to drink…"

The Canadian suddenly dashed off towards the kitchen and to Katyusha's surprise, leaving the girl alone to contemplate on her friend's odd behavior.

Meanwhile, Matthew was browsing through the refrigerator, trying to cool off his heated face with the cold air from the appliance.

'Taking a shower. God, that was a stupid excuse. Seriously Mattie?'

Pulling out two glasses from the cupboard and a bottle of wine from Francis (which was pretty much the only drink he had left. He reminded himself to go get the groceries soon), the blond approached his guest and sat down across from her once again, setting the wine and glasses on the center table between them.

"I hope you like white wine. S-Sorry, but it's the only one I've got in here."

Katyusha smiled and nodded - not to mention melting Matthew's heart right there - and took a short sip after he poured some in her glass.

"It's fine. I am actually quite fond of this wine. French, if I'm not mistaken?"

Matthew, who was desperately trying to stop blushing (every single damn time) the Ukrainian smiled, let alone looked at him, nodded and took a sip with his as well.

"So…K-Katyusha…what made you come all the way here?"

To his surprise, the girl blushed, and tried to cover it up with another smile. "W-Well, ever since I heard brother would not be able to pay you a visit, I thought, maybe, I could instead. Besides, it has been quite a long time since we have…err, what do you say? 'Hung out'? Yes, that. Which reminds me…"

Opening up her bag, Katyusha pulled out a white box and topped off with a little red bow.

"Ivan wanted me to give this to you, since he could not do it himself. It's from the three of us siblings." She handed the box over to Matthew, whose face tickled pink at their thoughtfulness.

"Kat…I…thank you…"

"Go on, open it."

He did as he was told and was  surprised to see a small expensive-looking frame containing a picture of him and the three siblings outside in the snow. It was taken back in Russia about a year ago when he dropped by on business terms. That day was actually one of the most fun he had had.

"Wow…Katyusha, I…I don't know what to say…"

"It was brother's idea. Since both of you barely get the chance to see each other, he wanted to give you something to remember us by. You know, he sees you as one of his closest friends."

At this, the Canadian looked up at her surprisingly. "Really, he said that?" She nodded. "Well, tell him…tell him I said thank you and that I really appreciate it. Seriously, this is very nice of you."

Katyusha smiled and told him she would tell Ivan, all the while sporting a pink tinge – something that went unnoticed by her host.

"Oh God, now I feel guilty. I don't have anything to give you, or your brother and sister!"

"It's okay, Matvey. I don't mind. If anything, I should be feeling guilty for intruding upon you so late at night."

"No, that's totally fine! I wasn't busy anyway, so I really appreciate the company…"

They grew silent for a moment until Katyusha piped up.

"Matvey…I was wondering…why is your house not decorated for Christmas? And don't you usually have a few guests during these days?"

He sighed. Katyusha then told him not to answer if it was too personal but he smiled and waved it off.

"You see, my usual guests suddenly got busy and, just like your brother, were not able to drop by to celebrate. I guess I was just looking forward  to it too much that it was kinda a let-down when they told me the bad news. I wasn't really into the Christmas spirit after that."

The Canadian let out another sigh and slumped his shoulders, only to tense up as he felt a warm hand on his. Looking up, he noticed that Katyusha sat beside him this time.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Matvey…not all holidays turn out perfect. Sometimes, luck just isn't on your side, even on these special times of the year. But, that's just life, isn't it?"

She offered him a sweet smile and he returned it with one of his own, unknowingly intertwining their hands. They stayed in a comfortable silence for a few moments until the two took notice of their position and shyed away – their hands letting go of the other's, but remaining beside each other towards the rest of the night.

It wasn't until an hour or so of light chatting (and the occasional blushing and spluttering, courtesy of both parties) that Katyusha finally let out a yawn. It was midnight, Matthew noticed as he glanced at the wall clock, and stood up to clear out the glasses and now empty wine bottle.

Katyusha stood up as well, picking up her bag and straightening her sweater.

"So, do you have a place to stay for the night?" Matthew asked from the kitchen, adding the glasses to the pile of dirty dishes on his sink.

"Oh, yes I do. I checked in a hotel just a short walk from here."

He exited the kitchen and followed the Ukrainian to the front door.

"I could escort you there if you want…"

"No, I'll be fine. You have been a very gracious host, Matvey, and I wouldn't want to take more of your time."

"But Ka-"

She patted his shoulder and shook her head, another blush tainting her cheeks. "I'll be okay Matvey. Thank you again for having me over."

An awkward silence overcame the two as they tried to think of a more eloquent way to say goodbye. Sounds from the surrounding homes' merrymaking was all they could hear until Matthew shuffled his feet.

'C'mon Matthew. It's the least you can do. She came here to keep you company. Do it, dammit, do it.'

"Katyusha…c-could I ask you a question?"

Concern flashed on the Ukrainians eyes as she faced him and nodded. "Of course."

"W-Will you…uhhh…" mentally cursing himself for stuttering and willing for his blush to go away, Matthew took a deep breath. 'If Alfred was in my place, he would've blurted it out by now.'

"Matvey, are you okay?"

"Y-yeah, yeah I'm fine! I just…ugh, I know this is gonna sound horrible but, Kat…I've l-like you for a while now...you know, in a…err…more-than-friend-way, and…God, I'm no good at this..."

He blushed and averted his eyes in embarrassment, not catching the way Katyusha's cheeks became a dark shade of red as well. He scratched the back of his neck, thinking of a better way to word his thoughts.

"I wanted to know if…uhh…y-you would go ou-"

"I'm free tomorrow, if you'd like."

The Ukrainian's words startled Matthew enough to look at her and silence yet again draped over the two.

"Wh-what do you mea-"

"There's a café near my hotel and I was planning to visit there sometime soon…we could have our d-date there…if you'd like, that is."

Matthew had to force himself not to break into a dopey grin. Instead, he settled for a warm smile that got Katyusha to blush more.

"I-I'd love to, Kat. So…I'll pick you up at 6?" She nodded and turned to walk away – that was, until she decided to press a chaste kiss on Matthew's cheek.

"Oh…and I - I like you too, Matvey."

The platinum blonde then turned and headed off into the chilly night, leaving a rather stunned and Canadian.

Matthew's Christmas was finally brightening up.

~*~*~*~

OMAKE!

Meanwhile, in a bush somewhere near Matthew's house…

"Ohonhonhon~ our dear Matthieu is growing up."

"Seriously, only on the cheek? And here I thought Mattie could be getting laid…"

"Don't rush the boy, you git!"

"Whose idea was this anyway? I could be eating some Christmas ham right now!"

"Ah, mon ami, you should feel happy for your brother! We helped him find l'amour~"

"Oh yeah, when do we tell the dude we kinda lied about being busy and set them up instead?"

"Uhm…we don't. Simple as that."

END