Table challenge: Germany/Italy, Romance: #15: After
Title: Post War Blues
Author: kira
Claim: Germany, Italy
Character(s): Germany, Italy
Table/Prompt: Romance/ Prompt #15: After
Word Count: 657
Rating: G
Summary: The aftermath of WWII weighs heavy on Germany’s soul…
Author’s note: Thanks to my beta, Jen, for looking this over for me and helping me with a title…
The years following WWII left Germany feeling sad and lonely. Countries that had talked to him during the war now shunned him. Worst of all, his brother Prussia was forced to give up all contact with him and live in Russia’s house, and Italy, his beloved little buddy, after a tearful goodbye seemed to have forgotten about him. Oppressed and beaten, only the tiny spark of hope that he would one day awaken from the nightmare kept him going. And when the wall went up between him and his brother, Germany nearly gave up on life until one day he had heard his brother’s voice telling him, “To suck it up and come back stronger.”
Taking that bit of advice to heart, Germany did just that. As the years flew by, wounds healed and all the countries grew stronger again. Relationships that were stiff and strained at the end of the war grew warmer and more cordial, and some of Germany’s loneliness had eased. But the nights were long and the days that were not filled with meetings and work were just as empty as before. Then things changed when he had least expected them too.
He had been invited to a World 8 conference and somehow had wound up sitting next to Italy. While Romano was as cold to him as he had always been, Italy’s presence was like a ray of sunshine after a cold and lonely winter. His little buddy chatted him up like he had only been gone a day instead of years and Germany ate it up like food to a starving man as his loneliness faded. Once he heard those magic words, “Ve… Germany? Want to go get some gelato?” he knew Italy was back in his life again and Germany sincerely hoped for good. His only regret was that he was unable to tell his brother, his pilgrimages to the Wall notwithstanding.
Germany found himself pouring his heart out as they ate their gelato. He recounted all his years alone, recovering from the war and working hard to rebuild the trust everyone had in him. He spoke about Prussia and surprisingly, Italy had a bit of news about him. Germany was glad he was doing as well as could be expected under the circumstances and somehow his statement about hoping to see him again led to one about how much he had missed Italy and how glad he was to see him again. The fact that Italy had missed him and was just as happy to see him again, was like a dream come true. His little buddy had not forgotten him, like he had feared; he just needed time like everyone else to get over the horrors of war.
Their gelato get-together quickly turned into a dinner invitation and Italy was delighted to learn that his best friend had taken up Italian cooking in his absence. He praised the food and wine was very happy when Germany gave him a slice of Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte. Germany’s lips briefly contorted upwards in a smile. It felt like old times, especially when Italy announced he was spending the night as they washed the dinner dishes. They even made a date to go the next day to the Wall to try and tell Prussia he was fine and not to worry about him now that Italy was there. Whether or not Prussia was able to hear him was something Germany did not want to think about at the moment, his little buddy was back and he wanted and needed to savor the moment.
That night as they lay together in bed, Germany was happy his little buddy was there, snuggling with him. The terrible aching loneliness that greeted him each night had eased somewhat. As he drifted off to sleep, Germany felt things were looking up and that it was just a matter of time, before all was right in his world again…
Author: kira
Claim: Germany, Italy
Character(s): Germany, Italy
Table/Prompt: Romance/ Prompt #15: After
Word Count: 657
Rating: G
Summary: The aftermath of WWII weighs heavy on Germany’s soul…
Author’s note: Thanks to my beta, Jen, for looking this over for me and helping me with a title…
The years following WWII left Germany feeling sad and lonely. Countries that had talked to him during the war now shunned him. Worst of all, his brother Prussia was forced to give up all contact with him and live in Russia’s house, and Italy, his beloved little buddy, after a tearful goodbye seemed to have forgotten about him. Oppressed and beaten, only the tiny spark of hope that he would one day awaken from the nightmare kept him going. And when the wall went up between him and his brother, Germany nearly gave up on life until one day he had heard his brother’s voice telling him, “To suck it up and come back stronger.”
Taking that bit of advice to heart, Germany did just that. As the years flew by, wounds healed and all the countries grew stronger again. Relationships that were stiff and strained at the end of the war grew warmer and more cordial, and some of Germany’s loneliness had eased. But the nights were long and the days that were not filled with meetings and work were just as empty as before. Then things changed when he had least expected them too.
He had been invited to a World 8 conference and somehow had wound up sitting next to Italy. While Romano was as cold to him as he had always been, Italy’s presence was like a ray of sunshine after a cold and lonely winter. His little buddy chatted him up like he had only been gone a day instead of years and Germany ate it up like food to a starving man as his loneliness faded. Once he heard those magic words, “Ve… Germany? Want to go get some gelato?” he knew Italy was back in his life again and Germany sincerely hoped for good. His only regret was that he was unable to tell his brother, his pilgrimages to the Wall notwithstanding.
Germany found himself pouring his heart out as they ate their gelato. He recounted all his years alone, recovering from the war and working hard to rebuild the trust everyone had in him. He spoke about Prussia and surprisingly, Italy had a bit of news about him. Germany was glad he was doing as well as could be expected under the circumstances and somehow his statement about hoping to see him again led to one about how much he had missed Italy and how glad he was to see him again. The fact that Italy had missed him and was just as happy to see him again, was like a dream come true. His little buddy had not forgotten him, like he had feared; he just needed time like everyone else to get over the horrors of war.
Their gelato get-together quickly turned into a dinner invitation and Italy was delighted to learn that his best friend had taken up Italian cooking in his absence. He praised the food and wine was very happy when Germany gave him a slice of Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte. Germany’s lips briefly contorted upwards in a smile. It felt like old times, especially when Italy announced he was spending the night as they washed the dinner dishes. They even made a date to go the next day to the Wall to try and tell Prussia he was fine and not to worry about him now that Italy was there. Whether or not Prussia was able to hear him was something Germany did not want to think about at the moment, his little buddy was back and he wanted and needed to savor the moment.
That night as they lay together in bed, Germany was happy his little buddy was there, snuggling with him. The terrible aching loneliness that greeted him each night had eased somewhat. As he drifted off to sleep, Germany felt things were looking up and that it was just a matter of time, before all was right in his world again…