The world we wanted 10/?
The Czechoslovakia twins aren't Prussia's favorite people in the world but sometimes he can't help liking them. If Prussia was in their situation of having his government accused of strange things by Stalin he would be more worried than they are right now.
“I think Trotskyist-zionist-titoist sounds excessive,” Czech says. That is a great understatement. “Trotskyist, that is obviously bad, we should avoid that. But Titoism can't be that horrible, weren't we friends until a moment ago? And Zionist, let's not even go there.”
“Better not,” Prussia agrees.
“I didn't even know you could be all three at once,” Slovakia says. “And let's not forget that there is a bourgeoisie conspiracy there somewhere too. By nationalists no less.”
“Maybe you're thinking of this the wrong way,” Prussia says. “The Trotskyists, the Titoists and the bourgeoisie in general must have decided to put their differences aside to team up on us.”
Russia fiddles with his sleeve and shifts uncomfortably in his chair. Prussia almost regrets his mocking, it's not really Russia's fault. And who can say for certain there really isn't a conspiracy like that?
“I don't know either. When you put it like that... But my boss says I'm not so good at recognizing enemies as he is. And we have a lot of enemies.”
“Maybe they did something else,” Czech says. “They probably did. I'm going to let our government do what they think they need to do but don't ask me to believe there actually are Trotskyist-zionist-titoists. Maybe it's code for something more sinister?”
“It might be,” Russia agrees, relieved.
“I'm doing my best and I'm not the slightest Trotskyist, Titonist, Zionist or bourgeoisie in any way,” Slovakia says. “Don't involve us in this, okay?”
Slovakia warns Prussia in a more serious tone.
“I invited you because I think you should hear this too. Be careful, Stalin is more paranoid than ever. Lucky we at least have Russia, isn't it?”
“Yeah,” Prussia agrees. “And luckily for us, Stalin doesn't look that well.”
“Mao slowly showing to be just a much of a drama queen as him and Tito might drive him to a heart attack very soon,” Slovakia happily says. “Communism would work better if the bosses didn't have such huge egos.”
***
“Come home with me,” Russia says when Prussia is preparing to get back home. “I'm lonely and Stalin only talks about all the people who are out to get us. I want to think about other things sometimes and I want to think about them with you.”
Prussia does have other things to do but he still can't resist an offer like that. It doesn't cross his mind to ask why Russia suddenly feels lonely until they are at his house. About now at least one of the Baltics should welcome Russia and probably take his coat. But the house is strangely quiet.
“Huh, where is everyone?”
“My Baltics have disappointed me so,” Russia says, his tone is much less playful than earlier. “Plotting against me, sponsored by my enemies, it makes me so sad. My sister convinced me to keep a closer eye on them and she was right. My boss suggested I should send them away for a while so they understand how lucky they are to be a part of my family. I think he made a good point.”
“Oh.”
“You don't sound surprised,” Russia says with obviously faked innocence and Prussia realizes his mistake. This is Russia's most irrational idea, that the Baltics should be his family when they so clearly want to run in the other direction without looking back. Of course Prussia knows they are completely untrustworthy and are probably beginning to conspire the moment Russia is out of the door. But their resistance is in the greater picture irrelevant so he has chosen to not get involved. Prussia would like to be able to eat in Russia's house without being worried about everyone spitting in his food.
“I never liked Lithuania,” he says. There are others who would be quite happy to be chosen as Russia's family, hopefully Russia will get that now and leave the Baltics alone. “Uhm... Where did you send them?”
“Why think about that when you don't like them? If you are very worried maybe you want to go and see for yourself? I was almost sure you never helped them but now I'm starting to doubt again...”
“Ehm-” Prussia unconsciously begins to back away and then stops himself, realizing how guilty he must look. Damn Belarus, if he had only known she was this serious about getting Lithuania. “I wouldn't dream of telling you what to do in your own house, but-”
“Good,” Russia says. “Let us talk about happier things instead.”
Prussia gives up, Russia is in a very strange mood and he doesn't want to evoke the darker side of it right now.
***
If looks could kill Prussia would be dead long ago so he gives Belarus a fake smile that can match Russia's best ones. She still isn't going to be able to have a lot of time alone with her brother as she expected.
“I thought we were allies,” he hisses to her. “Shouldn't you talk to me before you stab your neighbors in the back? Lithuania acts like a love stuck puppy around you, that was fucking low.”
Belarus gives him an equally cold smile.
“You have no right to lecture me GDR. The Baltics tried to betray our union and you don't support that, do you? I think I should try to mention your nationalist tendencies or what we call it today to Russia more often.”
“Go ahead,” Prussia says. He doesn't think she is going to succeed, Russia knows he is on his side more than Belarus is. Belarus obsession with her brother seems to have frozen into something much more sinister and the way she looks at him makes Prussia's skin crawl.
What Prussia hoped would be a relaxing vacation turns out very awkward. Russia pretends to not notice the new tension between his two allies and doesn't ask what happened. Maybe he already knows.
***
Prussia knows he made a mistake the moment he got into discussion with Stalin about how crazy this new ideas of traitors and murderous doctors are, especially when there are other people listening in. Russia made a mistake in dragging Prussia long in the first place. Russia is much more unhappy than he tries to pretend and it's all Belarus's and Stalin's fault. Prussia can't stop himself even if he knows he went to far when he suggests that Stalin's real problem is that he knows he is about to drop dead any moment. Which must suck when you are an atheist.
“But I will not be forgotten,” Stalin says and Prussia does not like this new direction. “Prussia on the other hand has already become insignificant.”
“You'll be remembered for being a power crazy dictator. Prussia was awesome and no one is going to forget that.”
“I will be remembered for defeating the fascists and making Russia great again. Perhaps other things too but that was necessary sacrifices. If you are lucky Prussia and Frederick the 'Great' will be remembered for inspiring Hitler's failed fascist regime.”
“Now we're leaving,” Russia says and grabs Prussia's collar, before Prussia can decide if snapping Stalin's neck is worth the consequences. “Do you have to make a scene wherever we go?”
Some people are laughing at him and he isn't sure if he wants to kill them or cry.
***
But of course Prussia doesn't neither, he is Prussian and he knows you can't kill someone else's boss. He has to live with being humiliatingly dragged away by Russia and having Fritz insulted. The worst part is that it might be true, perhaps Prussia stopped being important even before the war, perhaps he would have been completely absorbed into Germany and just disappeared even if they won. Russia is the only one who is willing to defend Prussia's right to remain a nation, a situation Prussia could never have dreamed of in the past and that's why Prussia would go to hell and back for him. But not for his bosses.
“Your boss is such an asshole.”
“He is a politician,” Russia says. “Try to be behave, he saved us from the fascists, didn't he?”
“He can't ride on that forever... And I would give more credit to Zhukov, Konev and the other military guys. Stalin sucked at all that important stuff and you know I'm always right about these things.”
Russia sighs. “It's complicated for bosses who are close to us when they realize how old they became and how we haven't changed since we first met.”
“I know you don't like Fritz, but he was still nice when he got old.”
He got bored with his court and preferred to spend time with Prussia instead. Prussia loved him even more for it, Fritz knew what to prioritize in life.
“Friedrich II 'nice'?” Russia says, trying not to laugh. “You are so cute Prussia.”