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Who\'s Afraid of Roderich Edelstein	By : CyreliaJ Category: +G to L > Hetalia: Axis Powers Views: 1826 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia or any of it's characters. I'm also not making any money off of this.

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
- 6
Note: A warning for strong and possibly offensive language. My apologies for the long hiatus. I had some issues finding a new beta but many thanks to my beta Jazz and everyone still reading. C&C is always welcome as well. I’m not always the most objective judge of my own work haha.

5

“A Servant of Evil”

We'll try to stay blind
To the hope and fear outside
Hey child, stay wilder than the wind
And blow me into cry

Who do you need, who do you love
When you come undone?
- Duran Duran “Come Undone”

Berlin, Germany
Hohenzollern Castle
November 30th, Present Day

“Thank you, young man.” The woman takes the carefully wrapped package of gingerbread hearts from his fingers. Germany smiles, remembering a young girl standing at a similar stall holding her mother’s hand some forty years earlier. He returns the smile easily. Behind him Prussia is starting to put away the unsold merchandise as an older woman comes up to pay.
“You know I have a daughter about your age,” she hints as he finishes giving her change, and he finds himself getting somewhat red in the face and she starts to describe her in far more detail than any man or nation ought to be privy to.
“Ah, thank you ma’am, I’m flattered but-”

“-my baby brother’s spoken for.” Prussia appears next to him unexpectedly an arm slung casually over his shoulder seeming amused with the entire situation. “Yup, such a shame too; he’s just such a cute little fellow isn’t he?” Prussia pinches his cheek and both he and the woman share a laugh as Germany huffs and glares at Prussia.
“Ah, of course, they always are,” she says with a shake of her head. Germany splutters indignantly before shoving his brother away, thoroughly red faced as she leaves.
“That’s the fifth one today! Do you really have to do that every time?!” he exclaims as the crowd slowly continues back to their vehicles. Prussia’s eyes dart to the people far too occupied with their purchases and the children chasing snowflakes to pay them any mind.

His mouth is at Germany’s ear; his ability to insinuate himself in his brother’s personal space has only been turned into a finally honed craft over the years.
“But it’s only the truth, little brother,” he teases with a hot rush of breath and a playful lick and Germany shivers. He turns his head away after seconds of hesitation.
“You’re too reckless, Gilbert,” he chastises softly without any real heat. The fire’s gone down to his stomach where Prussia deftly slides a hand between the large brass buttons of the black coat and rubs at his chest through the shirt he’s wearing. The only response he receives is a chuckle.
“Reckless? In seventy years, West, they’ve never once fucked with us.”

Because there’s nothing there.

Because there’s nothing between them but the bond between two brothers and whatever perversions America and Canada might be up to, isolated on the other side of the world, have nothing to do with them. France might have a fucking hard on for Austria and see shadows and ghosts where there are none but that doesn’t make it real and that doesn’t make his feelings for Germany anything other than completely normal. Prussia has never been shy when it comes to his brother, but last time he checked that wasn’t a sin. Veneziano might have confirmed years ago that there was nothing between himself and Germany and America might’ve made one stupid joke too many but all that doesn’t add up to damnation and fire. Prussia frowns, a hand raised to toy with his brother’s slightly mussed hair stilling with an odd reflection. He loves his brother. That’s all there’s ever been to it...

“Brother?” Germany’s voice had called to him softly, the deep baritone unusually timid and uncertain. Prussia looked up with a start from the scratchy cot to see the large outline in the darkness. He said that he preferred to sleep in the barracks with the men. He said that he felt more comfortable now that they were in the midst of a war. He didn’t say that he couldn’t stand hearing his brother fucking that little piano playing faggot almost every night in the next room. He didn’t say that the stupid little bitch sounded enough like a girl- ‘cause that was the only, the only reason- that it made his dick hard and kept him up at night. He didn’t say that the sight of the two of them through the keyhole lay behind his closed eyes at night replaying in an odd silent reel- or even when Austria looked at him knowingly with those eyes. Prussia didn’t say a lot of things, really no matter what that Austrian bitch liked to say about his lack of a brain to mouth filter. He simply took the bag and left and didn’t look back when Germany watched him from the bedroom window like a man imprisoned. “Are you awake?” He had slowly put the gun back under the pillow and sat up more relaxed, the old instincts slowly getting back under control.

“Yeah, I’m up.” He slung his legs over the side of the cot wearing nothing but a pair of shorts even in the cold of winter. Germany stood in the doorway letting the cold air blow in and although he couldn’t believe his brother was really there, he rose and went over to him nonetheless. “Christ, I thought you were in Poland dealing with that mess.” Prussia was thankful the place was empty with everyone still out drinking as he padded across the cold floor. He didn’t need any of them asking any questions because there was no way they could speak freely in German. Well hell, Prussia usually joined them but at 4am right now he was trying to fucking sleep. He hadn’t hesitated the last war to get completely falling over drunk every night but shit maybe he was getting old after all.

Germany still hadn’t responded even as his brother stood in front of him. Prussia could see the blue eyes darting nervously around, could see those fists clenching and unclenching, the normally pristine uniform disheveled and he practically yanked him inside. “Jesus, give the whole barracks a show why don’t you?” he grumbled to himself hoping that no one else had seen because inevitably there were always questions and those usually led to answers that none of these damn humans ever believed.

“I can’t do this,” Germany said at last as Prussia closed the door and looked back at him standing in the same spot. Prussia examined him more closely as he watched the floor and saw the shaking, the pallor even in the faint moonlight through the window. He also thought he saw the reddened eyes and drying trails of- no. No way in hell he’d been crying; it must’ve been a trick of the light. His brother didn’t fucking cry like a little bitch. He didn’t even scream when they were cutting the two of them open in Versailles and if fucking Austria never cried in a thousand years then surely his own brother was made of sterner stuff than that.

“Hey I was kidding yeah?” He could see those shuddering breaths and stepped around trying for some kinda damage control, looking away out the window, scratching his stomach uncomfortably as he watched the moon just peeking out from behind the clouds. He didn’t need his brother falling the fuck apart on him. Not now when they were just getting started on the greatest conquest that either of them would ever know. “I mean if they wanna say something who cares, right? It’s not like those perverts in charge aren’t-”
“I can’t do this Gilbert.” And Prussia snapped his head up as if he’d just heard the firing of a gunshot “It’s... it’s not the same like it was in the last war. It’s not... I’m not... I can’t kill innocent people in cold blood like this...” He took a few more steps instinctively seeking out Prussia’s cot and sank down onto it. He held his head between his hands, his hair unkempt and falling into his eyes. Prussia absently fingered the iron cross around his own neck as he sat down next to him.

"You knew that Operation Tannenburg was gonna get your hands dirty, Ludi." He fished beneath the pillow for the coveted pack of cigarettes, Germany still sitting next to him on the scratchy cot looking out the window at the cloudless sky when he finally lifted his head again. He winced when Prussia turned on the bedside lamp looking for a match. "You want it?" he asked after lighting up and taking a drag that probably looked far too ecstatic. "You look like you need it."
“You know how the Fuhrer feels about those,” came the automatic chastisement and Prussia couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Yeah well I don’t see his happy ass goose stepping in here to stop me so-“
"Christ can you be serious for once!? Do you have any idea what's going on out there?! Do you know what they're-"
“Hey! You listen to me, bruderchen. You’re gonna lecture me about being serious? I'm not living it up with my little schlampe in Berlin, yeah? I'm here where I oughta be: fighting. I’m not parading around like the Fuhrer's little Aryan golden boy kissing babies and cutting ribbons so let me have my fucking cigarettes, yeah. C’mon, Ludi, I know you're better than this. You proved yourself in the last war so why don't you man up and stop acting like a little prissy bitch when it comes to a little bluet ein issen."

“You go too far, Gilbert...” He heard the words spoken a token protest that his brother often made when he seemed to think that somehow Prussia had either overstepped himself or wasn’t in fact assessing the situation with the gravity it deserved. But as Prussia took another drag and Germany turned his head to make another comment, the remainder of the chastisement seemed to die on his lips as those red eyes fixed on him seriously.
“Are you backing out on me Ludi? You gonna leave me and specs to finish this fucker? Cause let me tell you that little bitch might piss and moan but he’s fucking heartless when he needs to be. I thought of everyone on our side you were made of tougher shit than that.” He absently flicked the ash into the ancient porcelain ashtray on the nightstand voice lowering as if that might guard against any who would hear. “You having those nightmares again or something? Those crazy dreams about the holy wars ‘cause you know They’d be more than happy to dope you up to the eyeballs if you can’t deal with it or-“

“No it wasn’t. You don’t… understand...” He took a deep breath, staring at the green wall, hands on his knees like an overgrown child struggling for just the right words not knowing that Prussia understood good and damn well what he was talking about, knew every rotten miserable thing going through his mind and just didn’t want him to fucking say it out-. “I mean the orders… the orders they hand down without...” he choked and Gilbert just watched him silently. “Liquidate, Gilbert. They talk about people like furniture in a warehouse or like… Verdammit we’re not slaughtering pigs!” He blinked, one hand groping blindly from his knee to his brother and Prussia put a hand over his hoping none of the guys came back cause if he thought the shit they used to say when they were kids was bad... He swore softly under his breath for that moment unable to face Germany because he knew in the moment just what the fuck he was asking and knew at the same time that to walk through the baptism of blood was the only way his brother could ever be like the rest of them.

“Christ I keep forgetting how fucking young you are.” Younger than he should be and a lot less hardened no thanks to fucking France and that who- he shook his head. He wasn’t gonna think about all that shit now because his brother was here and whole and had no idea of the things they needed to be capable of to succeed. And no doubt he was imagining things to be a lot worse than they were anyway ‘cause Prussia had seen the overfed old farts they had in the einsatzgruppen who couldn’t kill a mother cat let alone compare to the iron warriors he’d one led to… Nevermind that. He’d forgotten how much his brother had really lost when he felt Germany squeeze his hand until he thought it would break and that ragged voice was whispered, “Can I sleep with you- just for tonight, brother?”

Prussia blinked, looking at the walls somehow knowing that the monsters wouldn’t stay away forever wishing like hell that God would just leave him the fuck alone thinking in one brilliant moment of self-awareness that if he was to fall into sin now it would be for his brother and no one else, that if he were to exalt anyone above the God who’d failed him then it would be- He hadn’t even realized he’d been clutching the iron cross with his free hand until he felt the warmth surrounding his calloused palm and felt the ash fall to his bare leg. His attention was still focused on the wall- trees playing demons for shadows. He said nothing even as he turned his head. He kept his eyes averted, flickering them almost nervously as he let go of the cross and put the butt out on the royal crest in the center of that chipped ashtray.

It was fitting really, he thought as he felt the wound on his palm close up with a rapidness it never had even during the most brilliant age of the Prussian Empire. ‘Cause that empire was fucking dead and theirs would last a thousand years just he and his brother and he wasn’t even thinking about violet eyes when he brought his brother’s head down, bowed just enough to brush his cold lips over Germany’s forehead. He didn’t understand yet but he would.
“What are you doing,” came the soft whisper though Germany made no move to pull away from him.
“Do you remember?... Maybe you don’t but do you remember when she...” he didn’t say their mother because he was sure that if he could recall nothing more than the soft lilt of her voice and the warmth of her touch Germany with his fragmented memories wouldn’t remember half that much. He laughs almost nervously. “She used to say that a kiss would make anything better.”
“You… you always were so terribly inappropriate, Gil.”

It was the way he said his name. It was the way that flicker of recognition beyond the present was in his eyes that made Prussia so fucking desperate to make him remember. He didn’t care if he remembered Italy then. He didn’t care if he remembered Austria because if he remembered them then he’d have to remember… For that moment the man seated in front of him was no longer that distant stranger he’d become ever since he was reborn a man. Prussia was watching his brother, his Ludwig- not Germany- who always knew, who always understood, always forgave him and only ever looked at him and... And he drowned. Prussia felt his fingers smooth that half mussed fine blonde hair with all the intimacy he’d held back from everyone else he’d ever touched in his life. He felt his fingers tangle, felt spider silk sticky beneath them and just somehow felt those blue eyes lift to meet his even before he met that perfect searching expression with one of his own. But Prussia never hesitated and never faltered where his brother was concerned- where everything was right and every dystrophic damnation was reduced to nothing but the skin beneath his fingertips.

Prussia saw Germany’s lips move and whatever his brother said in that instant was lost to the fire. It was lost to the blood and it was lost to the need to possess. It brought their lips together in a brief, bare joining. He could feel the power, feel the German Empire, feel the Third Reich passing deathless and ageless between the two of them and felt that surge of adrenaline like he was back on the front lines cutting down every enemy that stood between them and divinity. It was conquest when he had a sword and pistol in hand- when he held death like a newborn child- and when for the first time in their existence the two brothers breathed their essences into each other in mutual power. It was a whole lot of poetic bullshit but most of all it was Germany gripping Prussia’s shoulders hard as if to throw him off but instead holding fast to him like he was the only thing left in the universe.

“We used to share a bed, didn’t we, Ludi?” Prussia asked feeling nostalgic and bitter and a thousand other fucking things he wasn’t about to try and put a name to. Their foreheads were pressed together, their noses touched, mouths just the barest length apart and the air was crazy fucking warm between them and Prussia could feel Germany not looking at him. As well as he knew his brother he knew that Germany was trying to remember, trying to reach through that weird veil of death that separated the past from the present. And as he almost thought it was another one of those eternally vanished moments he felt Germany tense and in some maddened automation he dropped his hands to that strong back and felt the rigid muscles, felt a helluva lot more than he should’ve and his mouth was to the shell of his brother’s ear whispering low,

“But I guess that’s just something else you forgot.” His grip was tight, almost angry but he wasn’t letting go for anything in the damn world right now. Let anyone see. Let them be damned ‘cause this was their world now. This was their empire reborn and no one else and even Austria was the last thing on his mind the ghost of violet eyes drowning beneath Leviathan flooding the world around them. And Germany didn’t answer him, didn’t say anything but let go and pulled back just enough to look him straight in the eye as if he were making some final damning judgment. Except this time Prussia wasn’t going to be banished, cursed, what the fuck ever. Because if this was the last moment that either of them would exist then let it be-
“Heh, you’ve really gotten to be big haven’t you?”
“You always talk such nonsense.”

Then let it be done.

Germany slaps at his hands as he lets one fall and brings the other up to undo the buttons in the shadow of the stall where they won’t be noticed.
“C’mon, West, let’s give ‘em something to really talk about, yeah?”
“Gilbert I don’t think…”
“Yeah, don’t think. That’s a good idea.” Germany grumbles to himself softly and after a brief moment of indulgence in the touch he forcibly removes Prussia’s hand.
“Yes, it’s done such wonders for you, brother,” He sighs, gripping Prussia’s wrists firmly before letting go, mouth thin with disapproval. “At least not here. God, can’t you wait ‘til we get home?” He ducks his head to hide his embarrassment beneath the unfaltering answering stare and begins to pack up the gingerbread hearts. Prussia laughs as he goes back to his own box. He can’t help the way his eyes flicker to the strong, broad back and shoulders as Germany works quickly and efficiently. Germany is his and his relationship with his brother never has been and never will be anyone else’s fucking business. They’ll never understand what’s between the two of them without having to pervert it like everything else.

He thinks little more about it as he pours on the charm, knowing that his boss has oddly high expectations for a man determined not to reclaim what should rightfully be his. The crowd eventually fades down to nothing, the hearts are soon packed up, and the temperature drops. It seems to feel colder than the forecast called for and he pats his pockets for gloves. With a soft curse he finds them in his hand and Germany says nothing, only turns away and puts on his own. Prussia silently puts a hand on his brother’s shoulder. They face away from each other, but even so Germany puts a calloused hand over his. Somehow through the fabric that warmth is still there and he can’t help but pull away too quickly.

“So West, place your bet. What are the odds that they’re playing another one of their stupid little games?” He refers of course to America and Canada, the conversation with Austria still fresh in his mind. It affords him another focus and Germany drops his hand again and takes a box.
“Whatever happens, Gilbert, just remember it was your idea to involve us in their business.” Well really, It was stupid Austria’s but that’s neither here nor there and Germany has always had a blind spot where Austria is concerned. Germany has always been afraid of the fire as well. Prussia is tense for a moment as he thinks of Hamburg and the scars and even further back than that knowing that he can’t quite fault him.
“Hah! What’s life without a little batshit craziness, West?” That careful expression blinks off and his grin is wide as he takes a box and deliberately bumps his brother. The small smile on Germany’s face as he looks at him in return is all the confirmation he needs. He can do this. The damned already know what it’s like to fall from heaven.

Staring at the swirling water, Prussia wondered not for the first time if the water would circle the other way if they were in Australia. He’d asked his boss the same question the night they’d gotten thoroughly wasted following his ascension to the throne. The Prince had laughed before telling him he really didn’t know and he really couldn’t afford to fly them there to check. Prussia suggested they invade the Koala loving motherfucker- all in jest of course- and after that he couldn’t recall ever really getting along with the man. But George Friedrich was his boss and his will in most of these matters wasn’t his own ‘cause he learned the hard way years ago that to go against one’s boss no matter how much of a bastard or a coward was really not a terribly good idea.

Not that he felt that great being forced to attend these conferences as a sham of a nation. He had no idea why the man thought this would be “good for him”-Germany spoke for the both of them now anyway- but then again the prince had no idea what it felt like to not really be a true nation and to feel that odd tug like one was being pulled out of time and out of one’s body and Jesus Christ he needed to get a grip because the room was starting to spin again and he was a hell of a lot stronger than this bullshit. Stronger than pride, stronger than death, stronger than the whole lot of those eviscerated godlings down the hall, Prussia rose, straightened his shirt, wiped the sweat from his forehead, shut his eyes, and reminded himself that he needed to be here. Right here, right now because all the pieces were about to fall into place and according to Austria if he didn’t really want the lot of them to burn he-

Prussia heard the door open and there was a blink and there he was on the closed lid, feet propped up against the door, head between his knees willing the fucking room to stop spinning because he couldn’t imagine his brother’s face if he blacked out or... He wasn’t sure he recognized the shoes until he heard a soft voice that was unmistakably Canada. Prussia licked his lips and found in that moment that odd center of calm as everything snapped into place. If it was just as Austria said then any moment there should be one more. Hearing sharp, eyes alert, pupils shaking with the tiniest tremor as the rest of them stilled, he listened. He listened because his damn life depended on it and Georgie Porgie might be thrilled to pieces to ride the coattails of Kaiser Wilhelm into the fucking board room but Prussia was eternal and Prussia-
“Al, what the hell is your-” Bingo. Prussia heard the voice cut off and heard the sound of heavy breathing and shoes scuffling on the tile from a brief short lived struggle. He heard the two of them moan and cast a withering look to his dick for daring to stir at the sound.

Christ his nerves must have been under far less control than he thought because... ‘Focus. Focus because these idiots are clearly too reckless for their own good. Do they even know the damn fucking camera is...’ But it wasn’t. In fact he blinked again slowly and saw their feet and realized that they were in the exact blind spot of the security camera set to watch the door- he’d checked it himself when he came in. So it wasn’t their first time doing this here. He bit his thumb and looked thoughtful, looked curious because last he remembered England’s two little golden children weren’t-

“Fuck, Mattie why did you have to wear that today? That ugly tan suit of yours finally dry rot off?”
“You told me that you like seeing me dressed like this andyoudon’thavetoinsultmyclothes so I don’t know why-“
“For me! Not for them!” A pause and he wasn’t sure how much he really ought to try and see. But he could hear enough and in a way that was far worse than just seeing it because in his mind he could conjure up all sorts of- “Christ, I couldn’t stand the way they were looking at you.” That was America again and Prussia forced himself to breathe because his palms were not sweating cause cause two incestuous north American faggots didn’t amount to a hill of-
“They didn’t see me Al,” bitter, angry. “They never see me with you always standing in front of me.”
“I see you, Mattie,” sounded somewhat breathless and the feet moved, shuffled a little more but carefully seeming oh so carefully. “Or isn’t that enough for you anymore?”
“Maybeit’stoomuch,” in another rush and another dance of shoes.
“I love you, Mattie... God I love you so fucking much.” America’s voice was half muffled, and the sound of sloppy kissing could be heard as he spoke. “…’xactly what you were doing.”

“I like it when you look at me like that.” Canada breathed the response in a rush and he could hear their mouths connecting again and he repositioned himself so he could see if only to make the ridiculous picture somehow less so. “I hate it when you ignore me.” More moans; more Canada than America and he hated that somehow he knew that. “…inconsiderate...” Harder kiss and Prussia put a hand to his groin only to still that ridiculous response to what the stupid thing had to mistake for a woman with Canada’s soft speaking because that was the only way that he would have such a response. “I should.” Back hitting the wall; again Canada. “Ignore you.” Whimper bitten back behind a finger; why the hell did he know so damn much about that sissy!? “Oh God…”The sound of two bodies rutting against each other permeated the room and Prussia was both morbidly fascinated by how crazy they were while now trying to will his cock to go soft. Fucking tight pants. Like West couldn’t throw another load in before we left? S’too hot in here... yeah, that’s what it is. He crossed himself. Christ like he wasn’t already going to hell if such a thing existed without needing to add that to the list and he looked now only because he couldn’t stand not to.

Austria told him he’d warned the two how fucking dangerous it was to even think about looking at each other like that where anyone could see; clearly he pussy footed around and didn’t lay it out straight. But then again he wasn’t exactly trying to do his good deed for the day; Austria never did anything without an ulterior motive.

‘If my suspicions are correct then they would be the only other ones in the world…’ Cover. Yeah, he wasn’t as dumb as the rest of them would believe. What did any of them ever know about him but what he let them see? And just like now. ‘You better fucking appreciate this, Ludi ‘cause the whole world is gonna see this shit.’ See him and America if all went as it should. See Canada and Austria. ‘Two little sissies are fucking perfect for one another…’ He swallowed the odd taste of bile and shook his head. This was a bad idea. This was his gut instinct- which Austria might scoff was no better than China’s throwing of bones- telling him that those two would be their ruin and not their salvation. Prussia knew better. Prussia could hear it in the way America spoke, could feel the ghost of the memory of the madness fifty years ago returning to know that this would end just as badly. They were fucked. The whole lot of them and brilliant violent eyes flashed in his mind almost like a subconscious cue. ‘Enough of this garbage. You’re a soldier after all. Just do it already.’

Prussia dropped his feet silently and put a hand to the door because this was getting fucking ridiculous where anyone could walk in. He was about to come out and tell them flat out if they didn’t want to be set on fucking fire they better keep it in their pants and the last thing anyone wanted to hear while they were trying to take a dump was the two of them going at it like this was a fucking porno. His hand stilled, feet quickly going back up when the footsteps were heard outside the door. The two broke away hurried; America already moved to the urinals and Canada made to leave, almost getting hit by the door as it opened stammering apologies as he effectively blocked the intruder’s line of sight. The dumb fuck probably didn’t even see him.

Still, Prussia was almost impressed.
“S-sorry again,” Canada murmured before exiting and Prussia squinted, trying to recognize the brown shoes that passed the stall. America’s dick must’ve been shocked limp because Prussia already heard him pissing. The stream was joined by a second and he still wasn’t sure who it was. It wasn’t someone he recognized just by the cadence of their step which didn’t necessarily rule out anyone dangerous. No one said a word and he knew that idiot couldn’t read the atmosphere worth a damn but-
“So this is where you ran off to.” He heard a voice say at last: Greece.
“Yeah. Figured I’d beat it before all the crazy turned back on me, hah.” Like that forced laugh was fooling anyone. “Guess Mattie had the same idea. Y’know, always copying me and-”He wasn’t sure why America trailed off but for that time the noise stopped and there was no way he could bend and see where they were without removing ribs or giving himself up so he just stilled his breathing and listened cause Greece never seemed to be able to raise his voice for shit.

“It’s been awhile hasn’t it,” America said at last with a soft sincerity that still somehow wasn’t out of place.
“Hmm… I woke up when it was loud and then I realized…” There was a soft yawn. “I realized you weren’t there.” But no mention of Canada and it was curious.
“Heh, didn’t know you still…” Somehow he could almost feel America look away.
“There’s a lot you don’t know, isn’t there?” Greece answered cryptically yet somehow it seemed to have some quiet poignancy for America.
“I shouldn’t have… Heracles, I-“ And then there was more muffled what the fuck ever. Christ his foot was gonna fall asleep at this rate.
“I’ve been watching that show of yours and New Zealand’s.” Was the first thing he was able to hear loudly over the sound of the flushing and it died away and he wondered what might’ve been said in the interim. Christ, Austria owed him big for this shit. “It’s interesting…” Still about the show or whatever and his brow furrowed trying to call to mind what the hell was going on between the two of them. Last he heard they had one of the ugliest breakups in history that didn’t end up in a war. Course that was almost thirty years ago and he tried not to think about that time.
“Yeah, it’s pretty cool, isn’t it?” His voice dropped and was oddly soft, almost. “I learned a lot from you... back then.”

“Ah, it that so?” he heard Greece ask, the both of them moving to the sink. He had to strain to hear him speaking over the running water, precariously balanced on the toilet as he leaned. He didn’t think he’d missed anything though seeing Greece looking down at his hands before looking all weird at the mirror. “Do you remember the story I told you about Narcissus.” He couldn’t see but somehow he knew that America had gone still.
“Yeah.” He swallowed. “Yeah I do.” They were both silent, America unusually contemplative as if remembering something bittersweet. “Hey ah... I gotta go. Ludwig’s probably whipped everyone back into shape so...” Prussia couldn’t see them, try as he might through the crack on the door. No, wait, if he moved he could just make out Greece putting a damp hand to the side of America’s face. America’s blue eyes were wide.

“The beautiful young man who scorned the one who loved him... and fell in love with his own reflection.” He could see Greece lean in, and as the water saver faucets shut off, he could hear Greece whisper, practically against America’s stunned mouth, “You remember what happened to him don’t you?” Prussia could hear the sharp intake of breath and saw America whirl as Greece moved to dry his hands. He couldn’t hear what was said between them over the sound of the airdryer. He only saw America turn away ashen faced as Greece made his exit. America didn’t see the half turn back, and the sad green eyes that looked at him for only a passing moment. So that was the warning then.If America had any sense in his head he’d heed it. But then Prussia wouldn’t be here right now, would he?

Prussia exhaled sharply as he gave up all pretense of hiding. Austria was right, fuck him. The Americans were too reckless and too out of control. It had gone unsaid that an alliance could be their downfall as easily as their salvation and the lot of them were just fucked enough to have to trust them weren’t they? No, they were the last ones on earth who’d betray them. He almost laughed. Prussia’s boots were loud as they slammed down on the floor and one rose to kick the door open dramatically. Let the fucking cameras watch. Let them see everything and let them see Prussia being a perfect little faggot if he had to. England would be in next. That’s how it always worked. England and France and who better to witness this miserable dance? He smiled crookedly at America, lopsided, casual but he knew exactly where this was going when the other nation struggled to recover and he crossed the distance between the two of them knowing there was only one way to get this idiot’s attention and Austria better make him that fucking kaiserschmarrn for this. Blitzkrieg…. yeah that was it then.
“H-hey Gilbert what are you?-“
“Just shut up and kiss me.”

The two of them start back to the castle, both sparing a glance for the third box they’re forced to leave behind. They’ll have to come back for it.

Notes:

I honestly don’t know how many years they’ve had a Christmas market at the Hohenzollern Castle. I can’t find it online and haven’t heard back from the inquiry I sent to the contact on the website. If anyone knows that’d be great.

Operation Tannenburg was the code name for an operation which saw the annihilation of 61,000 Polish targets namely activists, scholars, actors, etc in September 1939

The unit Prussia refers to is part of the einsatzgruppen. They were one of the primary paramilitary death squads responsible for carrying out mass exterminations on behalf of Nazi Germany. The unit in question is Ordnungspolizei unit 101 which was involved in the operation in September 1939 however at the time Prussia is recalling having inspected them, the unit had since been replaced with mostly middle age transfers who were generally not fit for other service (December 1939)

Georg Friedrich is the current head of the Hohenzollern royal family. The Hohenzollern’s are the ruling family of the kingdom of Prussia.

The television show being referenced is Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.

The “breakup” Prussia refers to occurred during America’s support of the 1967-1974 military coup in Greece as well as support of the monarchy on the Greek Civil war in the 1940s. Bill Clinton summer it up well in an apology issued in 1999 when he said “When the junta took over in 1967 here, the United States allowed its interests in prosecuting the Cold War to prevail over its interests - I should say its obligation - to support democracy, which was, after all, the cause for which we fought the Cold War. It is important that we acknowledge that.” American/Greek relations were very strained as a result.

kaiserschmarrn is a well known Austrian dessert. It’s a type of light caramelized pancake made with sweet batter.
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