A/N: At this point in the story, there will be much more history and politics involved. Just keep in mind, I am not a history major or a politician. All I can rely on is the internet, my knowledge obtained through school, and my personal experience. And believe it or not, even with those three things, I can sometimes be wrong (mind blowing, isn't it?). I'm only human and am just writing this for fun.

It was England's turn to watch America, which allowed Canada to observe Russia during the meeting. It hadn't been his initial intention to study his comrade, but after sitting through hours of mundane presentations two days prior and reviewing notes, his interest in work was suffering. It was one of those rare moments he envied his brother's disability. America was free to admire the world around him and no one would find it strange if they caught him observing another person's behavior for long periods of time. In fact, they'd encourage him to study his surroundings. They'd reward him for his enthusiasm. He wasn't expected to sit through hours of presentations from other listless nations without thanks.

At least others tended not to pay attention to him. Even if it was frowned upon for a functional adult to stare at another person, Canada could do this without causing any trouble. Everyone forgot he was present, so there was no one who would care.

He hated to not pay attention during the meetings, as it was his responsibility as a representation of a nation to participate in gatherings with others who shared his same status. However, boredom and curiosity were a powerful duo, so he couldn't resist the temptation of checking on how his ally was doing. He figured Russia would give him any information he missed during the gathering, anyway. There was no reason for either of them to not help each other at this point. They both had a similar goal, and there was nothing for his fellow northern nation to gain but trouble if he chose to be petty and cause problems on purpose, so Canada concluded that he didn't have much to lose for not paying attention throughout the entirety of the meeting.

Observing Russia's behavior throughout the meeting was more interesting than Canada initially believed it would be. It was as if the other nation was more... comfortable around his peers than he had been in the past. His shoulders were slumped and his eyes focused their attention around the room in nature movements, instead of focusing too much or too little attention on specific people. He didn't smile often at this gathering either, which had at first worried Canada. Until he considered the fact that he'd always suspected Russia's smiles were forced and this time, during the rare moments he allowed himself to express joy, it was genuine.

It appeared Canada wasn't the only one who suspected something was different about Russia. Other nations were studying him too. Some with obvious fascination and others with suspicion. Whether Russia was aware of the attention he was receiving or not, he continued on participating in the meeting as if he wasn't being watched. The uncaring (or ignorant) behavior caused the nations observing him to be even more interesting, but no one uttered a word about it.

Who could blame someone for being curious? Russia was acting normal. It wasn't an everyday occurrence. Since Canada was intrigued, and even believed the other's behavior was important to understand, he pondered a reason for it's occurrence. When did it even begin? he asked himself, I didn't even notice a change in his behavior until now.

Canada worked the question out in his head by considering Russia's behavior during the time he cared for America. The last time they'd attended a meeting was before he came over to help them tame the, at the time, out-of-control young nation. Though he appeared anxious, with his constant need to fiddle with his pen and play with the ends of his scarf, Canada had ignored the behavior. There were many things he could've been worried about: he may have been concerned about whether or not America would recover, if the ones who promised to care for him would be able to do so, or if the United State's government was still corrupt and planned on causing him trouble for interfering.

However, it was how willing Russia was to deal with America when Canada asked him for help that made him consider the anxious behavior. It was as if he was excited to be around the young nation to the point where he didn't care if it was going to be challenging to tend to him. This turned out being true later on, as the odd nation never tired of spending time with his disadvantaged companion and always satisfied his needs. Hadn't their relationship been strained in recent years, though? What would he want to help his former rival out if there was scarce hope their relationship was improving before hand? It was clear Russia had no ill intent, so perhaps he was growing sick of their rivalry?

This was reasonable. Canada imagined it would be tiring, as a strong nation, to be at odds with another nation who was equal, or even more powerful. Especially in the modern era with weapons capable of destroying the planet multiple times. The other nations feared them during the Cold War. It would be relieving for the two if they didn't have to worry about annihilating the world. A friendship would also be beneficial for the them. Russia lacked resources that were plentiful in America. They would also be able to protect each other. Although, even if it was better than them having another Cold War, there was the concern of how the other nation reacted to them becoming allies. Even if America was against conquering other nations (though, this was contradictory to his actions from a century before, as he was guilty of practicing imperialism), as he loathed the later days when he was a colony and England wasn't letting him have a say in most affairs, some nations would still be skeptical. As much as he wanted to believe it was so, as is typical of a nation, America wasn't always innocent. Russia, on the other hand, wasn't trusted in general. Though Canada was sure the nation had a heart, there was no denying the others were right in being wary. His treatment of the Baltic States were one of many examples of misconduct, which stained his record. Whether Russia intended on being cruel or not (which Canada was growing curious as to why he was harsh towards other nations in the past, but was now acting nurturing toward a nation he used to have trouble with), this was what his reputation was.

There was the possibility, though, the other nations would be too scared to interfere with their friendship, and leave them be. Canada hoped they would choose to do this, as he didn't believe his brother would try and dominate the world. Even if Russia attempted to coerce him into doing so. He even had doubts this was Russia's plan in the first place, as causing trouble for the other nations (even if they were passive about the friendship), would put him at risk. America's stubbornness to comply with a plan he didn't agree with also wasn't a mystery.

If there isn't much of a political reason for Russia's sudden interest in caring for America, Canada pondered, then was there a friendship they had that I'm not aware of? I suppose there were some times when they acted friendly towards each other, but I didn't think much of it. I always assumed they were just being polite. Maybe there was more to it, though. Maybe they've always cared about each other, but haven't always been able to show that because of political reasons. Sometimes, nations aren't allowed to express their wants and beliefs because of their leader and people. Even if the citizens of a nation can influence them, they're still capable of independent thought. It's a blessing and a curse.

Daydreaming helped time fly in Canada's perspective. He was relieved when the end of the meeting was announced. He wouldn't have to wait through hours of uninspired presentation for another three months. In fact, the end of the meetings meant he and the nations he was with would be able to have some fun before they went their separate ways. It also meant he could chat with Russia, in a sneaky attempt to obtain the reason why the other was acting the way he was. He believed this was more important than trying and failing to absorb information that had been repeated, with only few details altered once in a while, over and over for the past year.

Canada remained silent while he and Russia were still in the building hosting the meetings, as he didn't want others eavesdropping on their conversation. Though he struggled to prevent himself from quivering, due to the excitement, he didn't want others to discover the reason for his comrade's behavior. Even if it turned out it wouldn't matter if the explanation was found out, he still wanted to respect the other nation's privacy. He'd prefer if they discussed this matter around strangers they'd never meet again. What reason would they have to care about Russia's behavior? He was acting normal, which meant he posed no threat. Which meant they most likely wouldn't bother them.

Even if he believed having strangers eavesdrop on their conversation was a better alternative, Canada insisted on waiting until they were sitting at a table in an isolated corner of a restaurant before commencing his inquiries, "How was your day, Ivan?"

Even after months of being asked this question, it still filled him with glee, "I'm fine. You?"

Not only is he starting to act normal, but there's something charming about this behavior too. I don't know why though. He's just acting the way he's expected to.

"I'm doing well."

There was an awkward silence as Canada tried to come up with a way to continue the conversation, "Um... so was this meeting any different to you than the previous meetings?"

Russia quirked an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, did you feel any different during this one than you have in the past."

The room grew warm for Canada after asking the odd questions, Why did I have to say that? I should've worded those questions differently. Not only was it awkward, but now Russia's probably suspicious.

"A little bit, I guess. It wasn't anything major. I'm only curious as to why some people were looking at me differently than they normally do."

I guess taking care of America has made him more laid back after all.

"Why do you think they were giving you weird looks?"

"If I knew the reason why, I wouldn't be curious about it. All I know is that they weren't terrified of me like they normally are, so maybe that means I was doing something right."

Canada didn't understand why, but the last words Russia spoke created a pang of sympathy within him. It wasn't as if the other nation had intended to pity himself while saying this, as there were no hints of emotional agony in his tone. He said it with a casual attitude. Nothing had changed since the meeting. Not even the invasive, awkward inquiries discouraged his comrade's demeanor.

The two nations remained silent for the rest of the time they were in the restaurant. They were famished after the long meeting, so all they cared to do after the strange conversation was stuff their faces until their stomachs (and self-awareness) begged them to stop. After exiting the restaurant, Russia asked, "Do you think we should get the other two something to eat?"

Canada considered this, before shaking his head, "As polite as it might be, we still have plenty of food from when we want shopping three days ago. We need to try and eat it all before we leave to go home, as we can't take it with us. As hypocritical as that might come off, considering the fact that we just ate out."

"Nyet, don't worry about coming off as hypocritical. I don't blame you for wanting to eat higher quality food after that meeting. I also understand what you mean about the food in the hotel room. I'd hate to see it go to waste. In fact, it looks like Alfred has a new job. I'm sure he won't hesitate to help us out with the food situation. It's a good thing his appetite is growing, because he could also use some extra weight."

Canada couldn't help but laugh at this, "I guess we won't have to worry too much about the food going to waste then."

Upon entering the hotel room, after a brief greeting, England stated, "Unfortunately, Matthew and I have to sort some things out with out bosses tomorrow. I'm hoping it won't take long, but it most likely will."

An idea popped into Russia's head upon receiving the news, "In that case, do you think Alfred and I could spend the day in the city together?"

Russia wasn't eager about the initial response he'd earned when England furrowed his eyebrows, but after a few moments of silence, he was relieved to find this reaction was a result of his comrade considering the offer, "I suppose you can, but try to be careful. I don't want you losing him. And please don't force him into social situations if he gets nervous. He's already having a hard enough time adapting to this hotel, even though this is the fourth day he's been here. Speaking of which, do you think you can take him for the night? I'm growing tired of trying to manage him. He's been acting nervous ever since you two left and won't listen to some of my commands. It's a miracle he ended up falling asleep."

"I can take him right now, if you want. I'm sure he'll feel better if he comes over to my room as soon as possible."

"Are you sure you want me to wake him up? You know he gets cranky when he's tired."

"I'm sure he won't get cranky. He probably misses me, so he'll probably be happy to see me. Besides, he can go back to sleep once he's in my room."

"Alright, I'll go get him then."

With that said, England strode across the room towards the bed America was sleeping on. He shook his shoulder in a gentle motion and spoke with a quiet voice, "Wake up, Alfred. Ivan wants to see you."

When America stirred, he was uncaring about the request and insisted on continuing his nap. He pulled the blanket over his face in a futile attempt to prevent England from trying to awake him. However, the one disrupting his sleep was persistent, "Come on, Alfred. Wake up! Ivan wants to see you."

Ivan? Here? Those two words became the main focus in his mind and caused him to throw the blanket off with excitement. He placed his glasses onto his face and sat up so he could confirm if what England was telling him was true, and sure enough, Ivan was standing in the doorway, with a welcoming expression on his face. This caused America to smile and jump out of bed, so he could bolt across the room and pull his caretaker into a tight embrace. The other wrapped his arms around the one he was caring for in response, and said, despite the pressure being applied to his ribs, "I'm happy to see you too."

After America was finished giving his caretaker affection, the two walked to the other hotel room. Russia grew more and more excited in the young nation's presence. He couldn't wait to spend the day with him.