Read this bit first please.
Another meme de-annon.
Request this is based off of: Italy/Germany -
Rape Recovery and Hurt/ComfortNotes: This didn't fit the request because I think I left it open ended enough for interpretation, but I guess the warning could be the title of the request. Give me suggestions on how to improve please! This is currently a one-shot, but I may continue it in the future.
Characters: Germany, Italy
Summary: Something bad happens to Germany and Italy, unable to deal with it, runs away.
In another timeline, Italy wouldn't have run away. In another timeline, Italy would have shot the bastards who did this and then taken Germany to the hospital. But, in this timeline, Italy ran.
Germany attempted to get to his feet, but the spike of pain in his lower back made him scream and crumple to the ground. He coughed and tried to yell.
"I-Italy wait!"
But, Italy didn't hear and ran faster, away from the smell of blood, the sight of Germany's clothes scattered around the park and of Germany himself looking terrified and hurt.
Italy ran until the park was far, far behind him. He tripped and went sprawling over the sidewalk. Shaking, he crawled to a sitting position and curled in, upon himself. Was it him or was the temperature dropping? He sniffed and tugged his jacket around him.
"We've been bad." A voice said from behind him.
Italy squeaked, got up and tried to spin around. He wound up tripping over his feet and landing in front of a pair of dirt streaked shoes. Slowly, Italy looked up and felt his jaw drop open. Above him stood an older version of himself. He was scowling, looking a lot like his brother when he did so.
"How-" Italy began, but his older self cut him off.
"You left him." His older self said flatly. Numbly, Italy nodded. The older one sighed and bent down to look Italy in the eyes. "You have to go back."
Italy shook his head. "I can't! He'll hate me!"
His older self growled. "Idiot! He called you and you left him!"
"I know!" Italy wailed. "I'm a bad person!"
"Fix it," his older self snapped.
"How?"
"Go back."
"I can't!"
"You have to!" His older self's hands twisted and he shook a little, the two cross necklaces on his neck clanking together. There was a moment of silence as both of them stared at each other. Then, the older one sighed and moved to sit beside him. "I buried Germany yesterday." he said.
Italy gave a start beside him, then laughed and shook his head. "Ve~Don't joke like that!"
His older self didn't look at him. Instead, choosing to look at the now dark sky. "I wasn't joking."
"What?"
"I finally got the courage to see him again," his older self continued in an eerily calm voice, " so, I went to his house." Italy stayed, very, very still. "The door was unlocked. That's how I knew something was wrong." He swallowed and took a breath. "I walked into the house and immediately, the dogs came up to me." Italy relaxed a bit, but stiffened again at his older self's next words.
"They were whimpering and there was blood on their paws. They led me to the kitchen….Germany looked so calm. " His older self's voice broke and he dropped his head into his hands. "He was…..he was smiling….god, I should hav-" His older self's shoulders shook and tears poured onto the ground. Timidly, Italy placed an arm around his shoulders and drew him into a hug.
"Is this why I have to go back?" Italy said in a whisper, a while later. His older self nodded against his shoulder.
"You have to stop it from happening." His voice was muffled, but Italy heard every word. "This is the moment where everything went wrong. I ran away and never looked back. I avoided him. If I hadn't….this shouldn't have happened. So, please, go back." He raised his eyes and Italy nearly broke at the sheer regret that was in his older self's eyes. He found himself nodding.
"I'll make sure that doesn't happen." he promised. "I won't let it." His older self scrubbed at his face and stood up. His watch beeped.
"I have to go. Thank you and good luck." His watch glowed and sharp, white lines appeared around him forming a tetrahedral. The light spread, until, Italy could only see the hazy outline of his older self. Then, the light collapsed and his older self was gone. Italy got to his feet and took a deep breath.
"I'll save him. I promise." He started to run.
It hurt to move. Germany stopped again, gasping for air that wouldn't come. His vision narrowed and expanded as the park bobbed and whirled around him. He had managed to get to his coat and put it on, but hadn't gotten much further than that. His fingers fumbled around the phone in his hand and he tried to punch in his brother's number.
The phone slipped from his hands and smashed onto the concrete. If Germany had any voice left, he would have cursed. Instead, he fell to his knees as spike of pain surged through him. The world whited out for a second and Germany could have sworn that he heard Italy calling his name.
That was ridiculous of course. Italy had taken one look at him and run. Italy probably didn't want to deal with such a filthy, damaged and pathetic person. Germany tried to push himself upright again, but his arm flattened out, beneath him, and he cracked his head on the ground.
There was a sharp gasp from above him and Germany saw Italy's concerned face above his. It certainly was a very realistic hallucination. At least, that's what Germany thought until shaking hands touched his face.
Germany found himself with his back to the lamppost.
"Italy?"
Italy knelt down in front of him, careful not to get to close and startle Germany again.
"I came back." His voice cracked and tears flooded down his cheeks. "I'm sorry, I ran away. I was scared and I don't know how to deal with something like this, but I'll try because I don't want to loose you and-"
Germany cut off the rapid speech by resting his hand on top of Italy's. "You came back."
Italy nodded.
"You came back."
Italy cried harder. "Yes, yes, I did. I'm not going to run away again." Gingerly, he held his hands out in front of him. "Hug?"
Germany leaned in and started to cry. "Thank you for coming back."
In another timeline, Italy ran away. In that same timeline, Italy stayed away. In this timeline, however, Italy came back and stayed.