a/n:
Prompt was received on tumblr(and this was crossposted there, as well):
America and Canada's colony!selves go to future and meet themselves in a relationship.
-courtesy of ashynarr

I kind of strayed from it, but I hope this suffices! ; A ;

This is severely unedited though, and it is almost midnight here, so any typos are mine and will be fixed soon.

semi-important note: In this story, when Canada first joins the British Empire, he is already well into his teenage years, as opposed to canon, where he's a small child.

Come What May

It is by accident that they stumble into Arthur's cellar.

A month after Canada joins the Kirkland household: The young French colony is adamant in ignoring anyone and everyone. Arthur seldom notices, often tucked away in his study, but the other children do: America, Hong Kong, Australia, and the rest.

"Won't you at least say hi to me?" the colony of America whines, voice high-pitched and absolutely petulant.

Canada gives him an unimpressed glance before turning back around to keep staring at the wall. He keeps his hands busy ruffling through his stuffed bear's fur.

"Tell me your name, please? And then I'll tell you mine." (Canada doesn't want to know. He already knows that America likes to wear ridiculous cowboy outfits and prance around the house pretending to be riding a horse. Canada knows America is a loon and he would like to know nothing else.)

Canada knows enough English to understand and reply with his own name, but he doesn't. Instead he wishes he was back in his papa's home. It wasn't as loud and noisy over there.

"You know, I'm starting to think Artie's right!" America huffs, crossing his arms and kicking at the carpeted floor. "French people are really mean and rude."

Canada's temper, usually dormant, flares, and he stands in a smooth, indignant motion. He pushes the other hard, sending America sprawling to the floor with an ungraceful yelp. "Laissez-moi d'être," he hisses, and turns and walks away.

"Hey, come back here!" America calls after him. Canada does take pride in the hurt in the other boy's voice. Then America adds: "I'm telling Artie on ya'!"

That's enough to make Canada's pace quicken. When he hears America behind him, surely about to grab him and haul him off to Arthur, he breaks out into a run.

The chase is short, to his relief; he's never been much of an athlete. Canada dashes into the nearest unlocked door and almost catapults down the dark stairway in his haste to get away from America. His bare feet hit a cold surface, and he tries not to shiver as he blindly feels his way through the darkness.

His hands come upon a handle and what seems to be a big box. Without thinking too much of it, he twists it open and climbs inside, pleased that there is enough room for him and Kumajirou.

A mere few seconds after he shuts the door, he hears America's loud footsteps. "You can hide, but I'll always find you, you know!"

Canada curls up against the side of the box, breath baited. Just when he thinks he has outsmarted America, the door is suddenly yanked open and America exclaims as he grabs Canada's leg, "Aha!"

Canada's arms instinctively go up to push him away, but in the process, he knocks something with his elbow. Most likely a light switch, he reasons, because a moment later, his vision is flooded with light. Vaguely, he hears America screaming.

Then they're not in the darkness anymore.

They are in a bright white room covered in tile, standing beside a basin-look alike that smells absolutely foul. Canada jerks himself away from the disgusting thing and ends up against America's chest.

He pushes the other away with a scowl, standing up and hoisting Kumajirou into his arms.

They seem to be in a closed in room - the door is locked with a metal contraption. Canada pushes the latch to the side, and then the door is open.

He stops, however, when he hears a voice call: "Mattie, are you in here?"

Immediately, the French colony whirls to look at America, appalled at being called such a diminutive. Only Francis was allowed to call him that. But he is surprised to find that Alfred's eyes are just as wide, and he looks just as shocked.

Before either boys can say anything, a second voice sounds out: "Don't you have someone else to entertain?"

"What did I do wrong?" the first voice inquires, sounding genuinely distressed.

"I-It was supposed to be just us two tonight, you said! So I wait at the table for a good hour until you show up, and when you finally do, you come in with Arthur,drunk, practically hanging off your arm?"

Canada's eyes widen to an almost comical width. His mind buzzes with a hundred questions:What's going on? Who are these people? Where am I? Why does one of them...sound like me?He doesn't notice America getting up until the other colony is at his side, whispering, "What's g-"

"Ssh." Canada presses a finger to his lips in a firm gesture to keep quiet.

"But I have a reasonable excuse for being late, I swear - and as for Arthur, I just ran into him in the parking lot and he refused to stop following me."

"Of course. And what is this excuse? I'd love to hear it."

"I... I was... Can you actually come out here, please? It's kinda hard to talk when one of us is in a bathroom stall."

Canada hears the someone getting out from the stall next to them.

Then the first voice says: "Thank you."

The second voice murmurs quietly, "What is it?"

"I was late because I was at home practicing how to do this. I've been doing it for the past month now, and I told myself I was ready for tonight, but you know I get really nervous."

A chuckle. "I know, Al."

Canada's curiosity gets the best of him. He pushes the door open several inches and peeks out.

A few feet away, there are two men.

Canada realizes that one of them is him- taller, yes, and older looking, but that's his hair, his eyes, and the other, the other - is that -America?

"I was going to do this out there," the America look-alike says, "but I don't want you running away from me before I had the chance."

He gets down on a knee.

"Let me see," America whispers in his ear, and pushes and shoves until he also has a clear view of the scene. A few seconds later, he is clutching at Canada's pants leg, muttering fervently, "Oh my god, where are we, who are those people, what is going on?"

"Matthew Williams," the older America says, taking something out of his pocket. He opens the small box and presents it to the other man. "Will you grant this idiot the awesome privilege of being his husband?"

Canada chokes on spit, although he isn't sure which part makes him do so: The fact that these...aliens know him by his real name, or that they are requesting that he join them in holy matrimony.

He watches, mouth agape, as his look-alike's face erupts into a bright red blush, spluttering until he finally gets out a, "Yes, took you long enough, Alfred F. Jones, yes,yes."

Then he pulls the America-look alike up and kisses him fully on the mouth.

America, the one currently at his feet, promptly faints and falls forward. The door of their stall bangs open loudly, thus drawing the attention of the two men.

Canada stares back at them, equally as stunned. "Um," he begins intelligently, but thankfully has to say nothing more as a white light engulfs them once more. When his eyes adjust, they are back in the box in the cellar with a very angry-looking Arthur hovering above them.

"What in the Queen's name are you two doing?" the empire demands, but there is a softness in his actions as he helps Canada out of the box. Then he lifts Alfred up - who is still unconscious - and motions for Canada to follow him back up to the main floor.

"I don't suppose," Arthur says sometime later as he checks America for any other injuries, "that anything...strange happened?"

Canada's hands are still shaking. He lies, "Non."

He doesn't know why or when or where or how, but suddenly, his mind becomes manifested with thoughts of being with America -Alfred.

He further surprises himself when he finds the idea oddly appealing.

When Alfred finally wakes up later, it is only him and Canada in his room. The first thing he says is, "I'm Alfred F. Jones."

Canada answers softly, "I know." And then he adds, "I'm Matthew Williams."

Alfred laughs. "I know."

He doesn't know who leans in first, but then they're kissing.

It's clumsy, inexperienced; both their first kisses.

But Matthew has a feeling they'll be getting better.