A/N: It's finally finished after a year! Yay! :D :D :D I cannot thank you all enough for your support and love. Thank you so much for sticking with me. I sincerely hope you liked this fic, or at least parts of it. Personally, there are things I liked and things I could have done better, and there are probably continuity errors somewhere, but hey - I wrote it and it's out there now. :) I had fun writing week-to-week, but it's not something I'm really planning on doing again. I just like it better when I get everything written out before hand. Anywho, I won't keep you here any longer. Have a most miraculous day! :)

It had been a week. Matthew had been counting the days. With each passing day, his fondness for the dolls had grown; now, in their human boies, the range of emotion and actions they could do had increased tenfold, as well as their memory. Their personalities fleshed out and they were so radiantly happy that the entire week had been spent in celebration.

All good things had to come to an end though.

Curses were such tricky things that could last lifetimes. Governments all over the world had protocols for misplaced, newly-released from their curses people - whether they were misplaced in distance, time, or both. For the dolls, it was both. As such, they had to return to Prussia.

It was going to be a sensational story, Matthew knew, when it was to be released to the press after their return to their home country. The public loved a good curse story, especially ones that involved royalty and long passages of time. He could name a few movies off the top of his head that were based on such stories. Even still, he couldn't help but feel it was not as glam and melodramatic as some news outlets might make it to be.

One thing he knew for sure though, every time he'd see a news story about them, he would miss them all dearly.

Ludwig, for as big a doll as he was, was even bigger in real size. His buff muscles looked like he could snap Matthew in two, but his stony demeanor was no longer enhanced by a porcelain face though his appearance was every bit as well kept as a doll might be. His hair still remained perfectly slicked back and his clothes always looked impeccable. He had a work out routine that Matthew couldn't help but be in awe of - throughout the entire week, he trained everyday just to maintain his muscles. He told Matthew that he had really missed exercising like that, because as a doll, his stamina and energy had been reduced into such a small amount that it felt like he barely got anything done before he sat back down. His voice was also a lot deeper than it had been. Matthew would miss Ludwig and his big muscles and his stony but soft attitude.

Antonio he would miss because of his eternal happiness. He had happiness to spare now that he was back to normal, and his energy was boundless. He'd been eating ten tomatoes everyday because he could and chattering nonstop to anyone who listen to him, regardless of where he was. He barely touched his sword for the entire week, rather, he went around cooking everyone large meals with the help of Francis, and taking long naps. His wild curls would always be matted when he woke up, but they went right back to being bouncy in no time. Before the week was over, he started a vegetable garden in Matthew's back yard with explicit instructions on how to take care of it. Matthew would miss Antonio and his love of food and his positive attitude.

Francis was much more handsy-feely now. Now that he was Matthew's size, he extended his hands-on policy with the dolls to include him as well and that meant a lot of hugs, kisses, cuddles, hand holding, and hair pats than Matthew had ever received in his life from anyone else. He seemed to thrive off of keeping his long locks looking perfect, and his face still looked like it was made of porcelain, but only because he knew all about skincare. Matthew even let him style his hair a few times. Francis also liked to give advice on a lot of things, mostly about love, which was something he had missed when his brain was the size of a peanut. He would also wax poetic about the simplest of beauties and never failed to have a compliment for anyone. Matthew would miss Francis and his pretty words and loving attitude.

Elizabeta looked all the more beautiful and strong now that she was her right size. She commanded attention whenever she walked into a room, her very presence a thing to be noticed at all times. She was kind and caring when respected, but a force to be reckoned with when she had a frying pan in her hand. Her days were spent reconnecting with new people, making new friends, and reenergizing herself from the sausage party she had to live with for the past century, unconscious or not. She helped Matthew clean up around the house and helped him decorate his home to feel more homely. She gave him tips about confidence and earning respect and how not to make a fool of himself. Matthew would miss Elizabeta and her poise and her motherly attitude.

Roderich could finally play the piano again. He could play the dollhouse piano just fine, sure, but that was nothing compared playing a life-size grand piano with the grace of someone who hadn't been frozen in a hundred years and theoretically should have been out of practice. Everything about Roderich screamed grace now, except for his thrift shop clothes. He refused to spend more than he needed to on things he described as useless and shared wisdom to Matthew about how to be thrifty. Matthew didn't take much of it to heart because he prefered having clothes that weren't threadbare, but he supposed Roderich valued saving up for a fine instrument rather than clothes. He was the one who changed most after returning to normal; no longer snooty and quiet, now open and proud. Matthew would miss Roderich and his music and his self-assured attitude.

Matthew would miss them all individually. He hated to play favorites, but he secretly (or not so secretly) would miss Gilbert the most.

Gilbert, though he had been human again longer than the rest of them, was still the one Matthew was surprised to see everyday, sitting upright, standing upright at just about Matthew's height. Gilbert, while undoubtedly still arrogant, never raised himself up at the expense of others. He went around and tried to partake in whatever activity his friends were doing, whether it be Ludwig's work outs, or Antonio's siestas, Francis's cuddle sessions, Elizabeta's decorating, or Roderich's playing. He made an effort to include himself and not make too much of a nuisance, though he loved doing that, too. Being a nuisance was Gilbert's own personal hobby and even though it should have been exasperating and obnoxious, Matthew thought it was cute. He had a crush on a prince who liked to make a nuisance of himself, a prince who had to return to his own country. Matthew would miss Gilbert simply because Gilbert was Gilbert.

The dolls had been having so much fun being human again, Matthew never quite found the time to talk to Gilbert about his feelings and the whatever-relationship they had.

Now, of course, it was a little late. They were standing on the train platform, in the train station, and waiting for the train that was to take the dolls - the Prussians home because they were not dolls anymore. Alfred had accompanied them, Arthur having said good-bye the previous night when Matthew held a going away party at his house for them. (While there were many good things about the dolls returning to their human forms, namely returning to their human forms, Matthew considered getting his job back to be a pretty damn good thing.) He gave each of them their own personalized farewell, Alfred doing the same except much more dramatically and loudly.

He knew exactly what to say to each of them, until he got to Gilbert.

Gilbert was smiling at him, bittersweet and lonely in all the ways that Gilbert should never be. "I'll be back," he said. "You'll see this awesomeness again, Birdie."

"Yeah," he agreed, feeling a little hollow on the inside. He smiled back, a small thing that looked more sad than anything else. "Can't wait." They stared at each other, violet on rusty brown, sending messages back and forth, promises that they longed to make and keep. Matthew took a breath, feeling a little light headed. "Gilbert?" Staring into Gilbert's eyes, he couldn't remember if he was breathing or if his heartbeat had ever been regular. The weight of not being able to see him for weeks was heavy in his mind; he didn't want to let go, but he felt if he didn't have an anchor, he'd fly off the face of the planet. So, he stopped thinking so hard and went for it.

Gilbert's lips felt like they had last time. Soft, yet demanding, confident in a way that so Gilbert that Matthew had to use all his willpower to not fall apart. Gilbert kissed him like he was going away for years rather than weeks, with a forcefulness that made Matthew's knees go weak. He wrapped his arms around Gilbert's neck to stay upright, feeling the hot path of Gilbert's arms as they circled his torso and brought them even closer.

"I'm going to miss you," Matthew whispered in the space between them when they finally broke apart.

Gilbert whined a little and kissed him again, short and sweet. "I don't want to go now," he said, whine evident in his voice as he pressed kisses all over Matthew's face.

Matthew tried not to laugh. "You have to."

"You're making it hard." A hard kiss was pressed into Matthew's mouth before Gilbert pulled back and held his gaze. There was a silence between them, comfortable and filled with longing and bittersweet sorrow. Gilbert's eyes twinkled with enchanting liveliness. "Do you love me?" he asked softly, almost like he already knew the answer.

They still really had a lot to talk about, but Matthew felt like it would be a little easier to do so now. It was hard not to think that when he was smiling so hard it was starting to hurt his cheeks.

"I'm getting there."