Chapter Text
The wooden floors echoed with each step, he tried to reach for his desk. That room was big, just like the ones you could find in old houses.
Well, this one wasn't pretty new itself.
He had spent almost his whole life in that place, before and after the cold war, but not during it.
Two floors, a garden that wrapped around them and created a long path to reach the outside. It had once been taken care of, carefully watered and trimmed in various shapes that had given the impression of nature. But now, it was just fed with what the sky decided and it grew out of their previous shapes, giving way to the real wild nature.
Everyplace in that house was old fashioned. The bedrooms of which now just one was still in use, the kitchen that were the most used in that place, the five bathrooms where most of them were attached to a bedroom, the library where the scent of smoke had refused to leave even after Germany was born and his father stopped his use of cigarettes, the ballroom which remained never used except for a few times his father danced quietly to vinyls with a japanese ally, the entrance where dirt of shoes kept being stored without knowledge of his owner and the living room with the most comfortable chairs that hadn't been used in a long while.
The dust on the books in the shelves we're visibly now, he couldn't remember the last time he cleaned that place. Probably a flat could be more of use for a life like his but somehow he couldn't let go of that house.
His bed called him like every night and like every night he refused. He has more work to do, a few more hours couldn't hurt, besides, tomorrow he would be leaving to United States, he needed everything in order.
A flash, something moved right behind him before he could sit on his chair, just saw it a fraction of second, but it was there.
Maybe all this papers really was getting to him, maybe it was time to go to bed. Tomorrow would be a new day and a plane was far from the worst place he had worked.
No, but it wasn't that, he knew it and the sound of a door being shut just confirmed it.
Step by step he lead himself to the door, he saw the hall and walked in front of every door in that second floor. They were open.
The only option was the forever closed room, the one he didn't dare to see through and was easier if it stayed closed
It wasn't like he couldn't enter, he just rather not to.
He placed his hand in the knob and breathed. Then he saw it, the room, just like any other now, just with closed windows.
"Hello?" Nobody answered, obviously "Is somebody here?" Nothing.
Just when he was about to leave, he decided to look under the bed.
And he saw him, with a dark uniform, a kid, just like his father but his face was softer. He had the same look in his eyes.
A choked scream escaped Germany, retreating to the door and slamming it with all his will, his breath came at irregular times. He made sure to lock that room and went to sleep.
____
The flight was stupidly long, or so tought Germany. But he was finally stepping into the place UN always arraged the meeting, it was big just like his house but this was modern, cleaner. Something about the place always made him feel at peace, maybe it was the fact that every problem was taken care of there or that it was built to never repeat certain war.
This hall felt much more comfortable than his, but he got to the meeting room and had to stop his toughts.
A lot of the countries that were supossed to attend were already there. He awkwardly made his way through the people and took place next to Japan without sparing a tought, like it was usual.
His friend looked at him for a long time before saying anything, Germany always started their conversations but it wouldn't happened this time.
"You look terrible"
"I couldn't sleep last night" Japan tilted their head, like they knew exactly what was happening.
"Why?" Germany took a second to respond.
"Work and stuff" Liar.
"Have you seen any fascist movement in your country lately?" Emphasis in 'seen' not 'heard about'.
Germany moved his shoulder slightly but controlled his breath. It was obvious to Japan at this point.
"Why? Have you?" Dangerous for them to talk about fascism in a place like that, they knew it.
"Have you seen your dad?" They whispered. Any effort spend for neutrality went to waste for Germany, disbelief was written all over his face.
"How did you- What are you-?" He was interrupted.
"I saw her too"
Germany knew they were talking about their mother, of course. Something in his head clicked and his face lit up, just a bit.
"How did you get rid of her?" Japan expression remained always neutral, but he could feel the burden in them.
"I didn't, she's in my home" They kept quiet for a few seconds "Germany, they're kids now"
And they were right, whatever that could imply. He wonder about the possibilities just for a short time, maybe his dad came back, he wasn't dead after all. Then, why are they kids?
Maybe this wasn't his father but his successor, maybe he just looked like his father. But then why Japan had one at the same time as him looking like their mother?
"Did you talk to him?"
"No?"
"Well, I don't know about your dad but my mum need to eat" Germany looked at them in the eyes "Did you let him something near him to eat?"
"I trapped him in a room" Japan mouth was a thin line now "I tought it was an alussionation"
Silence between them, again.
"Japan, I- I don't know what to do, I don't want to go near that again, please" His voice breaked and he talked like he was running out of time.
They knew the problem he has with his father, it wasn't one that he had while Third Reich was alive, they could say that Germany always seemed like a healthy and happy child while his father took care of him, but his death and everything after twisted something in the german.
"Look, this is what we'll do" they tried to calm him, putting their hand in top of his "We are going to our countries after this, just invent any excuse, and I'll go to your country with my mum as soon as I can without being too suspicious, then we'll see"
Their friend weren't caring at all in their regular lifes, they were near cold and uninterested in other people's problems so this took him by surprise.
"Yes, right"
Germany nodded once and returned his atention to the unstarted meeting.
However, during the meeting he couldn't pay attention at all. Third Reich was in his room, in his old room; the same that he used to go so eagerly when kid in search of the comfort his father's arms bring him. May God forgive him for thinking about that but he hasn't felt a similar feeling since the day D, back in its year.
He couldn't see his face again, murderous, childish and lacking the same seriousness it once had, replaced with something that prayed to be mistaken for it.
Maybe he was gone, so suddenly as he appeared. Maybe he would open that room and there was nothing more than the air he trapped before leaving. He hoped so.
He couldn't remember when he got to the hall, but he kept walking, trying to not wake any suspicions. He nedeed to get out of New York, just to go to a worse place but at least he could act different there.
"Oh! But if it's not other than my favorite man!"
That wasn't meant for him, he walked faster.
"Germany, wait!" Oh, maybe it was for him.
He didn't stop, he just walked slower and turn his head to see who was there.
"Man, you sure are fast" sunglasses in a closed room, it was America.
His face was a trigger to more memories. He laughed it off and tried to erase whatever tought was trying to get to his head now, there was just fragments of it, dirt, blood and a deep feeling of fear.
Suddenly one of his legs couldn't support his weight and he stopped, looking at America's sunglasses.
Man, he didn't realize how nervous his laugh was and how long he has been doing it until now.
"Hi, United States" he said, gripping his portfolios tighly.
"Hey, I'm going to a karaoke with Japan later and you should come, you look stressed as fuck" his confident smile never leaved his lips.
"Japan is coming?"
"Yeah, sure. I just need to ask them but they'll come, don't worry" that made sense.
"Oh, u-um. No, I can't go, I'm already late with reports" that didnt erase America's smile.
"Are you sure?"
Germany's smile cracked there, how did he know that it wasn't that? Maybe he heard, talking in the only room full with countries about this was not smart.
"Ye-es"
"Alright, whatever. Bye, man" and he left.
His first tought were that it was weird, but then he tought about the question again. He was asking about his refusal, not about his excuse.
He nedeed to rest.