❝yes we're all in the mood for a melody and you've got us feeling alright❞
Title: Potpourri - Part I
Series: Axis Powers Hetalia
Words: -1,000
Characters: Austria/Hungary ;; Hungary/Prussia ;; China/Taiwan/Japan ;; France ;; Belarus-->Russia
Rating: PG
Warnings: Hugs and kisses
Summary: Five drabbles exploring different relationships.
Marital Bliss -- Austria/Hungary
Best Wishes -- Prussia/Hungary
Cherry Blossoms -- China/Taiwan/Japan
A Drink Called Loneliness -- France
White Dress -- Belarus --> Russia
Marital Bliss
Even after all this time, Roderich can’t get over how beautiful Elizaveta is, lying there in the bed they share. Her hair is draped across the pillow like strands of beaten copper, there is a small smile on her face as she turns in her sleep. She lets out a soft murmur and reaches out to grip him around the waist, burying her face into his bare chest.
“I can only sleep when I know you’re there,” she had told him, once.
Roderich, sitting up in bed, smiles. This scene is all too familiar to him, now, but somehow, it’s still unbelievable. Gently, he reaches down to stroke her hair, plants a kiss on her forehead.
Sometimes, “marital bliss” was everything else that happened in bed.
---
Best Wishes
“You’re an asshole.”
“Tell me something I don’t know,” he replies with a sly grin. There’s a wild light in his red eyes, and he raises his glass to her in a mock-salute. “Run along-don’t want to leave your blushing bride at the altar, do you?”
“Shut up.” Elizaveta, radiant in her white dress, turns scarlet. Her hands clench into fists at her sides. She turns away from Gilbert abruptly, disgusted. “At least he loves me.”
She’s about to run away, now, and Gilbert suddenly panics. He reaches out, grabs the long ribbon hanging off of her dress. The next thing she knows, she’s in his arms, her back to his chest, his arms encircling her waist.
“Is that what Roddy told you?” he asks softly. Suddenly, he twirls her around, his hands caught up in her loose hair. When his lips meet hers, she gasps-opening her mouth to his rough kiss.
“No.” She pulls away, rips herself out of his gasp. “Dammit, Gilbert, I’m getting married. Can you just give me your best wishes and let me go?” There are tears in her eyes.
“Here’s my best wish.” He lets out a derisive laugh. “I hope that when he tells you he loves you, you can swallow his lies and believe him.”
---
Cherry Blossoms
At first she thinks its pink snow.
Walking through the gardens, Meilan is startled by the petals that fall in her face, get caught in her hair. She hits them away without realizing what they are, and, before she knows it, they’re ripped and broken at her feet.
They’re flowers, she realizes-she’s never seen them before. At home, she thinks with a pang, during this season there would be plum blossoms. Will she ever see them again? A single tear falls from her eyes.
She doesn’t feel him as he approaches. One minute, she’s alone; the next, there is a gentle presence beside her, a hand brushing away the tear. She looks up, biting her lip to keep the rest of her tears at bay.
He’s soft and delicate and warm-all traits he shares with that other brother. But he takes her hand, gently, and sits her down at the base of the tree. He reaches up and plucks a full flower from the higher branches, reaches down to tuck it behind her ear. The pink petals are stark against her inky hair.
Maybe this brother isn’t so bad, after all, she thinks, reaching up to delicately touch the blossom. He’s wrapping his arms around her, now, and she can feel herself sinking into the warmth and comfort he offers.
“Meilan,” he says gently, bringing one hand up to touch her cheek.
“…” She starts to say the name of the one she loves when a stricken look comes to her eyes. She pushes him away, runs from the gardens.
By the time she’s back in her room, collapsed upon the bed, tears streaming down her face, she can finally allow the word to escape her lips.
She wasn’t going to say “Kiku.” She had been longing to say “Yao.”
---
A Drink Called Loneliness
The wine bottle is half-finished by the time Francis realizes he really wants something stronger in his glass. Setting it down on the table, he sits back and observes the scene around him.
There’s Antonio and Lovino-they are quiet in their camaraderie, understated in their affection. But it’s there, none the less, like a rope that binds them both.
Ludwig and Feliciano arrived not a moment ago. The Italian would have grabbed his friend’s hand and dragged him towards the banquet, had the German not insisted that beer come first. Though Feliciano was pouting, now, he and Ludwig were still holding hands.
Here comes Elizaveta and Roderich. He was playing piano, up until a moment ago, and she was gently singing along. Now they walk, scarcely a foot apart, as he mumbles something under his breath and she giggles in response.
Arthur and Alfred have been arguing about no-one-cares-what for the past half-hour. Still, when Matthew came back to the table with drinks, the quarrel was quickly forgotten as the three brothers buried themselves in laughter and conversation.
Back at his solitary table, Francis sighs and takes another sip of wine. He knows he should be used to it, by now. Still, at the night grows old and the tables clear, he can’t help but feel he’s the only one who’s missing something.
---
White Dress
The family meeting is finally over, and everyone trails off in pairs: Raivis and Toris, Eduard and Yekaterina. Ivan leaves alone, muttering something about needing a drink. Only Natalia is left, sitting in silence in the large living room.
She’s like a porcelain doll-snow-white skin and sapphire eyes. She sits, unblinking, at the spot where he sat, trying to recreate his every word and gesture in her mind. Even looking at him offers her a small comfort, though that doesn’t say much, these days.
When she finally gets up and leaves the room, there is a horrible, longing ache in Natalia’s chest. Hands clenched at her sides, she makes her way up to her room.
There, she pulls out the white wedding dress that she has owned for years. Lying on her bed, she drapes it over her like a blanket and allows the tears to fall against the snowy white lace.
---
Footnotes:
* “Meilan” is my name for Taiwan. (My sister came up with it.)
* “Cherry Blossoms” takes place during Taiwan’s time under Japanese rule.
Series: Axis Powers Hetalia
Words: -1,000
Characters: Austria/Hungary ;; Hungary/Prussia ;; China/Taiwan/Japan ;; France ;; Belarus-->Russia
Rating: PG
Warnings: Hugs and kisses
Summary: Five drabbles exploring different relationships.
Marital Bliss -- Austria/Hungary
Best Wishes -- Prussia/Hungary
Cherry Blossoms -- China/Taiwan/Japan
A Drink Called Loneliness -- France
White Dress -- Belarus --> Russia
Marital Bliss
Even after all this time, Roderich can’t get over how beautiful Elizaveta is, lying there in the bed they share. Her hair is draped across the pillow like strands of beaten copper, there is a small smile on her face as she turns in her sleep. She lets out a soft murmur and reaches out to grip him around the waist, burying her face into his bare chest.
“I can only sleep when I know you’re there,” she had told him, once.
Roderich, sitting up in bed, smiles. This scene is all too familiar to him, now, but somehow, it’s still unbelievable. Gently, he reaches down to stroke her hair, plants a kiss on her forehead.
Sometimes, “marital bliss” was everything else that happened in bed.
---
Best Wishes
“You’re an asshole.”
“Tell me something I don’t know,” he replies with a sly grin. There’s a wild light in his red eyes, and he raises his glass to her in a mock-salute. “Run along-don’t want to leave your blushing bride at the altar, do you?”
“Shut up.” Elizaveta, radiant in her white dress, turns scarlet. Her hands clench into fists at her sides. She turns away from Gilbert abruptly, disgusted. “At least he loves me.”
She’s about to run away, now, and Gilbert suddenly panics. He reaches out, grabs the long ribbon hanging off of her dress. The next thing she knows, she’s in his arms, her back to his chest, his arms encircling her waist.
“Is that what Roddy told you?” he asks softly. Suddenly, he twirls her around, his hands caught up in her loose hair. When his lips meet hers, she gasps-opening her mouth to his rough kiss.
“No.” She pulls away, rips herself out of his gasp. “Dammit, Gilbert, I’m getting married. Can you just give me your best wishes and let me go?” There are tears in her eyes.
“Here’s my best wish.” He lets out a derisive laugh. “I hope that when he tells you he loves you, you can swallow his lies and believe him.”
---
Cherry Blossoms
At first she thinks its pink snow.
Walking through the gardens, Meilan is startled by the petals that fall in her face, get caught in her hair. She hits them away without realizing what they are, and, before she knows it, they’re ripped and broken at her feet.
They’re flowers, she realizes-she’s never seen them before. At home, she thinks with a pang, during this season there would be plum blossoms. Will she ever see them again? A single tear falls from her eyes.
She doesn’t feel him as he approaches. One minute, she’s alone; the next, there is a gentle presence beside her, a hand brushing away the tear. She looks up, biting her lip to keep the rest of her tears at bay.
He’s soft and delicate and warm-all traits he shares with that other brother. But he takes her hand, gently, and sits her down at the base of the tree. He reaches up and plucks a full flower from the higher branches, reaches down to tuck it behind her ear. The pink petals are stark against her inky hair.
Maybe this brother isn’t so bad, after all, she thinks, reaching up to delicately touch the blossom. He’s wrapping his arms around her, now, and she can feel herself sinking into the warmth and comfort he offers.
“Meilan,” he says gently, bringing one hand up to touch her cheek.
“…” She starts to say the name of the one she loves when a stricken look comes to her eyes. She pushes him away, runs from the gardens.
By the time she’s back in her room, collapsed upon the bed, tears streaming down her face, she can finally allow the word to escape her lips.
She wasn’t going to say “Kiku.” She had been longing to say “Yao.”
---
A Drink Called Loneliness
The wine bottle is half-finished by the time Francis realizes he really wants something stronger in his glass. Setting it down on the table, he sits back and observes the scene around him.
There’s Antonio and Lovino-they are quiet in their camaraderie, understated in their affection. But it’s there, none the less, like a rope that binds them both.
Ludwig and Feliciano arrived not a moment ago. The Italian would have grabbed his friend’s hand and dragged him towards the banquet, had the German not insisted that beer come first. Though Feliciano was pouting, now, he and Ludwig were still holding hands.
Here comes Elizaveta and Roderich. He was playing piano, up until a moment ago, and she was gently singing along. Now they walk, scarcely a foot apart, as he mumbles something under his breath and she giggles in response.
Arthur and Alfred have been arguing about no-one-cares-what for the past half-hour. Still, when Matthew came back to the table with drinks, the quarrel was quickly forgotten as the three brothers buried themselves in laughter and conversation.
Back at his solitary table, Francis sighs and takes another sip of wine. He knows he should be used to it, by now. Still, at the night grows old and the tables clear, he can’t help but feel he’s the only one who’s missing something.
---
White Dress
The family meeting is finally over, and everyone trails off in pairs: Raivis and Toris, Eduard and Yekaterina. Ivan leaves alone, muttering something about needing a drink. Only Natalia is left, sitting in silence in the large living room.
She’s like a porcelain doll-snow-white skin and sapphire eyes. She sits, unblinking, at the spot where he sat, trying to recreate his every word and gesture in her mind. Even looking at him offers her a small comfort, though that doesn’t say much, these days.
When she finally gets up and leaves the room, there is a horrible, longing ache in Natalia’s chest. Hands clenched at her sides, she makes her way up to her room.
There, she pulls out the white wedding dress that she has owned for years. Lying on her bed, she drapes it over her like a blanket and allows the tears to fall against the snowy white lace.
---
Footnotes:
* “Meilan” is my name for Taiwan. (My sister came up with it.)
* “Cherry Blossoms” takes place during Taiwan’s time under Japanese rule.