Friday, January 30, 2015

Germany x Reader (The Hangover)

Konichiwa!  Sorry it's been so long since I last posted.  I had a ton of homework things to do this week and I've been suffering from a case of writer's block lately (thus all the Germany x Reader stuff since it's easy).  Anyway, more Germany x Reader.  This is a follow up from the Sparkle Party, by the way.  I apologize, but I've started learning German recently and I've found that I'm using a lot more German in these stories because of it...  Sumimasen!  One of the words I use a few times in this installment is Bitte which (in the cases I use it for) can mean either "Please" or "You're Welcome."  I think you can use context clues to figure it out, but if you can't then I apologize from the bottom of my heart.  *bows deeply*
Anyway, I'm exhausted, I just finished writing the story, and I'm going to post it and go to bed now.  So, here it is.  It's kind of short, but it's got a little more fluff in it than it has before.  I'm just trying to torture you guys (and myself) for as long as possible so I can build up the sexual tension!  Haha!  Also, I've never been drunk before, so I've never been hung over before and all I really had to go off of was how people I know have acted when they've come to school (or that one time to a Scholar's Bowl tournament...) hung over.  Sorry if it's not accurate!  Alright, well I'm going to bed.  Catch you reader-sans later~!


- Turtle-chan




You wake up with sunlight streaming into the room.  There is something warm draped over you and something hard under your head.  You open your eyes and rub the sleep out of them, looking around groggily.  How’d I get back to Germany’s house?  And why am I on the couch?  You sit up and sling your legs over the edge of the sofa, cringing away from the cold floor briefly before getting up and letting whatever it was that covered you slide to the ground.  You’re still wearing the same clothes you had on at the party.  The house is dead quiet and it makes you a little nervous.  Where is everyone?


You run up the stairs and quietly peek into everyone’s rooms.  Italy and Japan are fast asleep, but Germany isn’t there.  Your heart beats wildly and you run back down the stairs and into the hallway.  Without stopping, you run to Germany’s office and open the door just a crack.  At first, you don’t see anything in the dark, but then you notice something in the back of the room.  Germany is lying down on a couch with a hand covering his eyes.  His chest rises and falls evenly and you let out a sigh of relief.


Oh, mein Kopf,” he groans, rolling onto his side and uncovering his eyes but leaving them closed.  His brows are drawn close together in a grimace and he flaps his hand in the general direction of the door.  “Go avay, Italy.  I haf zee vorst headache unt you are too loud.”


“Sorry.  I just got worried when I didn’t hear anyone up,” you say quietly, starting to back out of the room.


Germany’s eyes open and he looks at you, seeming to take a moment to focus his vision.  “(y/n)?  Is zat you?” he asks you, peering at you through the darkness.


“Yeah,” you respond, still using a quiet voice.


“I am sorry.  I dit not mean to snap at you.  I zought you vere Italy,” he tells you, shaking his head and rolling back over.


“It’s fine.  Do you want me to bring you anything?  Italy and Japan are asleep still,” you say, lingering in the doorway.


Wasser.  Bitte,” he responds.


You nod and close the door quietly behind you.  As you walk to the kitchen, you allow yourself to relax and give a small smile.  Germany is obviously hung over.  Apparently he slips up and speaks more German when he’s hung over.  I’m glad he’s taught me some simple words!  You climb up in a chair as usual and pull down a glass.  You debate whether or not to put ice in it, and end up deciding not to.  If he has a headache, then you don’t want to make it worse by giving him a brain freeze!  And the water is important for diluting the alcohol in his blood stream.  You fill the glass with water and take it back to Germany’s office, not knocking on the door before you come in.


To prevent the light from worsening his headache, you shut the door behind you before advancing into the room.  You have to carefully feel your way around with your feet so that you don’t bump into things, but luckily Germany is a neat freak, so you don’t have much to dodge.


“Can you hold your hand out, Germany?  I don’t want to trip while I’m trying to find you,” you say in an almost whisper.


Ja,” he responds and you hear a rustling slightly to your left and forward.  You follow the sound, holding your free hand out until you brush into something warm and rough.  It closes around your hand and you realize that it’s Germany’s hand.


“Is zat you?” he asks you, squeezing your hand a little.


“Y-yes,” you respond.  You’re exceedingly grateful that it’s so dark you can’t even see your hand in front of your face.  You’re blushing furiously and it’s nice that you don’t have to work to hide it from Germany.  “Here, I brought your water.”


You hear rustling again and the glass leaves your hand, large fingers brushing against yours in the process.  Germany hasn’t let go of your other hand.  You hear him take a sip of the water.  What do I do?  It’s not that I don’t enjoy this, but…  Ah, I’m so embarrassed!


Danke, (y/n),” Germany says.


Bitte,” you respond, hoping that your pronunciation isn’t as bad as you think it is.


You hear a rustling sound accompanied by a brief, deep chuckle.  “Here, Mädchen,” Germany says.  “Kome unt sit.”


 You hear a light thumping sound which you assume is Germany tapping the couch, so you reach your free hand out until you touch the sofa and you gingerly lower yourself down onto it.  “Are you feeling any better?  You seem to be in better spirits,” you say, wondering what’s gotten into him all of a sudden.


“Hm, I do feel a little better,” he responds thoughtfully.


“Oh, that’s good,” you say, not knowing how else to reply.


Ja,” Germany answers.  There is a heavy silence between the two of you for several minutes until Germany speaks up again.  “Um, about my Bruder’s party,” he says hesitantly.


“Oh, don’t worry about it.  It’s fine,” you reply a little nervously.  Too many things happened that have set your head spinning and you don’t really want to think about it.


Nein.  I know zat ve all aktet crazy unt I vant to apologize for lettink you see me like zat,” he tells you, squeezing your hand a little tighter.


You’re speechless for a few moments, your mouth hanging open but no words coming out.  “N-no, I understand.  You guys seemed to be having fun, so it’s fine.  Besides, I’m sure it helps if you can let loose every once in a while.  You’re always working, so…,” you reply once you find your voice again, but you realize that you’re starting to ramble, so you stop talking abruptly.


Germany makes a noise that sounds like a sigh.  “You are too kint,” he says.  “Efer since zee first day you haf been nosink but kint to all of us.  You efen know how to make Italy behafe.   I just do not understand how to be as gentle as you.”  You don’t like his tone.  It’s a tired, world-weary tone that you recognize all too well.  It may not mean anything yet, but it could be a warning of bad things to come.  Bad things that you don’t want to think about.


“Thank you for the compliment, Germany, but really I’m not doing anything special.  I just like to see people happy.  I spent a large portion of my life feeling very unhappy and because of that I did some things I regret, but it all shaped who I am today.  If you weren’t a workaholic, exercise-obsessed, potato-loving, gruff drill seargeant then you wouldn’t be you.  You wouldn’t be Germany.  I think that Japan and Italy understand that too and they love you for it, in their own ways, just like I can tell that you love them in yours.  So chin up!  You’re great just the way you are!” you tell him cheerfully.  Your cheeks and ears are burning and you’re excessively aware of your hand in Germany’s, but you force yourself to hold still.


Danke,” Germany says so quietly that you almost miss it.  He gives your hand a final squeeze before letting go.  You hear noises coming from the kitchen, so you stand up and start making your way to the door.


You open it just a crack and slip out, keeping only your head inside the room.  Bitte,” you respond with a gentle smile.  You don’t know if Germany saw it or not because he’s looking down at his feet when you close the door, but you somehow feel satisfied and happy.


“Good morning, (y/n)~!” Italy exclaims, running over and attacking you with a hug as you enter the kitchen.


“Good morning, Italy,” you giggle.  You nod to Japan and flash him a conservative smile.  “So, how are you guys feeling?  You should make sure to drink lots of water today.”


“I’m fine~!” Italy tells you, and he seems to be.  For such a little dude, he certainly managed to hold his alcohol well.


“I am well also,” Japan responds quietly.


“That’s good,” you say, smiling at them both.  “Germany, on the other hand, was completely wasted so he has a pretty bad hangover now.  I’d recommend not bothering him today, Italy.”


“Ohhhh, so that’s why your face is all pink,” Italy says and you feel your eyes widen and your cheeks darken.  “I thought you had gone to take care of Germany~!”


“I-I don’t know what you’re insinuating, Italy,” you respond as calmly as you can, climbing up onto a chair and pulling down three glasses.


Japan notices your reaction and chuckles to himself.  Indeed.  Things are starting to become interesting.

Friday, January 23, 2015

German Sparkle Party and Germany x Reader ("Ja, is this the Party?")

Konbanwa!  Turtle-chan here, finally being able to do the post I've been waiting for for the past three weeks.  So, I woke up around 2:00 this morning feeling nauseous and sort of like I was up in the crow's nest of a pirate ship in the middle of a hurricane, so I decided it would be a good idea to get up and run to the bathroom before blowing chunks all over my room.  That was a smart idea, it turns out, as I just barely made it to the bathroom.  Needless to say, I didn't sleep well last night.  And then we were required to take a practice SAT test today, which took FIVE hours...  FIVE...  If they keep the same format when they finalize the changes to the SAT, I just feel really sorry for the kids who have to take it.  Anyway, I've kind of had a long day, so I thought it would be nice to have a little German Sparkle Party.  For those of you who are unaware as to what a German Sparkle Party is, here is the best explanation I can give.  I am not responsible for any emotional or psychological scarring you may receive upon watching this...  The fandom popularly agrees that they were all drunk...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyfinUZk8Ps
So, anyway, I got bored a few weeks ago and my little brother has some sparkly markers.  This is the result, if you can see it:
Yeah....  BlogSpot hates me...  But it's a super sexy muscly Germany with a slightly less muscly Prussia.  Both are probably drunk and both are very sparkly.  Also, they are dressed in their German Sparkly Party attire which consists of rubber boots (Prussia's come with sparkles), party pants (strikingly similar to their uniform pants...), and skin-tight, black, sparkly spandex tank tops.  Yep.  I don't know how I think of these things...  Gomenasai...
Also, I have a German Sparkle Party installment of the story for you which I have had written for almost a month but have had to put on hold in lieu of plot building.  Pesky plot building...  Anyway, I'm exhausted and I still don't feel well, so I'm gonna post this and then probably just curl up in a ball to die for a little while.  Catch you reader-sans later!  If I don' die, that is!

- Turtle-chan


It seemed like a normal morning, but it ended up being anything but.  You woke up and got dressed as usual before going downstairs to help with breakfast.  Germany, as usual, was the first awake and was already hard at work.  Italy was also awake because Germany had kicked him out of his bed.  The two were arguing from different rooms and making quite a racket.  You, as usual, played the role of the amused peacemaker.  Japan came down and helped set the table and everyone sat down to breakfast.  Everything was completely normal.  Until you heard the window open.

Immediately, Japan whipped out a katana from heaven knows where, Germany pulled a Luger from the waistband of his pants, Italy pulled out a white flag, and you jumped into a defensive crouch, holding your fists up in front of your face like a boxer.  Something large and white swung itself through the window and the two weapons were pointed at it immediately while Italy started waving the flag furiously.

“It’s zee awesome me!  Kesesesesese!” the intruder shouted.  A suspicious look crossed Germany’s face.

“Prussia…  Vhy are you here?  Unt more importantly, GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!” Germany said, shouting at the intruder in the end.  It seems like they know each other.

“Vest!  It’s goot to see you too,” the intruder said sarcastically.  You took a good look at him and realized that there are actually some similarities between him and Germany.  They both have that broad, brawny build, although Germany is significantly brawnier.  Their hair is also sort of similar.  Or rather, it would be if Germany wore his down all the time.  Their accents are also similar, though the intruder manages to make it sound crude somehow.

“What should we do, Germany-san?” Japan asked him, not taking his eyes off of the intruder.

“Nosink, Japan,” Germany sighed, replacing his pistol.  “Zis is my older Bruder, Prussia.”

You took another look at the man, your eyes wide with shock.  This crude, loud, albino miscreant is actually related to Germany?  They’re like polar opposites!  Japan sheathed his katana and Italy put his flag away.  It took you a moment to lower your hands, and you still felt tense afterward.  You glanced over at Germany who looked embarrassed and displeased.

“Would you like something to eat?” you asked Prussia, deciding to be hospitable since no one else was going to.

He turned and looked at you, peering down his nose haughtily.  “Zee awesome me does not neet to eat for nourishment.  Alzhough, I vouldn’t mint havink a taste of you, Fraulien,” he said suggestively.

You cheeks heated up and you forced yourself not to glare at him.  “I’m sorry, but I’m not on the menu,” you told him with your sweetest smile.  Germany was glaring daggers at his brother and Prussia was staring you down.

“You’re too borink for zee awesome me,” he scoffed, turning to look at Germany.  “Anyvay, I kame here to tell you zat I am hafink a party tonight unt you haf to kome.”

Nein,” Germany spat, almost before Prussia finished his sentence.

“Too bat, little Bruder.  I tolt you zat you haf no choice,” Prussia said smirking.  “Remember zee rules?”

“Vhat ru-?  Oh…  Zose rules,” Germany said, looking concerned.

Ja, zose rules,” Prusia said, throwing his head back and braying his strange laugh.  What’s going on?

“Vhat do I haf to do?” Germany asked in a tight voice.

“Zee usual…” Prussia said vaguely, waving a hand in the air.  You noticed for the first time that there was a small, yellow bird perched on top of his head.  Weird.

“I vill get zee sings,” Germany sighed.

“Make sure you remember zee outfit.  Rubber boots unt party pants,” Prussia told him, smirking evilly.

Ja…” Germany said resignedly.

“Goot.  Vell, I vill see you all tonight at my awesome house.  Kesesesesesese!” Prussia laughed as he climbed back out the window.

You turned to look at Germany who was massaging his temples in frustration.  You decided to leave him be and wait until you can get him alone to talk to him.  You started to gather up plates and you carried them to the sink.  Japan and Italy, who seemed to have understood the conversation, walked off to their rooms.  It was just you and Germany alone in the kitchen and you were dying to find out what was going on.

Germany sighed and sat down at the table.  You looked over at him and came to sit across from him, cupping your cheek in your palm.  “What’s wrong?” you asked him.

He looked up at you with tired blue eyes.  “I am fine.  I apologize about my Bruder,” he said.

“It’s alright,” you told him.  “You don’t choose your family.”

He looked at you and you thought you saw a ghost of a smile twitching at the corner of his mouth, but it was gone almost as soon as you noticed.  “You are right,” he said.  “He shoult not haf spoken to you zat vay, zough.”

“It’s fine.  Really.  I’m used to it,” you said without thinking.  When he cocks an eyebrow at you in confusion, you clarify.  “It’s common for girls to be spoken to that way where I come from.  I guess people think it’s manly.  I’m not really sure.  Either way, I know how to deal with it.”

Germany shook his head.  Schweinen,” he muttered.  You somehow got the feeling that he said something very impolite.

“Um, anyway.  What was that conversation with your brother all about?  It was kind of weird and I feel like I’m the only one that doesn’t understand what’s going on,” you said a little nervously.

“Oh, zat.  Um, it is a little embarrasink, aktually,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck.  “So, basikally, vhen I vas younger, Prussia voult not let me be my own kountry unless I agreet to his terms unt one of zem  vas zat ve haf to haf parties once each year and I am not allowet to bak out…”

“What kind of parties?” you asked him slowly.

Germany’s face turned beet red.  “German Sparkle Parties,” he replied quietly, avoiding your gaze.

Your face turned white and then red and you clapped a hand over your mouth.  This is actually a thing?  You’d read so many fanfictions and you’d heard the German Sparkle Party song, but you didn’t believe it was actually a thing.  You just thought it was some crazy headcannon.  It was so hard not to laugh.

“Vhat?  Vhat is wrong?” Germany asked you defensively.

You shook your head, smirking as you got up to finish the dishes.  “Nothing, Germany.  Don’t worry about it,” you told him.

And so here you are.  You stand a little awkwardly in the corner, sparkles covering every inch of your body as though you had been the victim of a crowd of seasick faeries.  The music is pounding in your ears and you can feel the vibrations deep in your chest.  You can’t help but smile as you watch Germany dancing with his obnoxious older brother.  You know he’s had entirely too much to drink, but you can’t help but feel like it’s good for him to let loose a little bit every once in a while.  He’ll probably be hung-over in the morning and not remember any of it, but at least he gets to enjoy himself for a few hours.  And, of course, the outfit he and Prussia are wearing is laughable in itself.

Germany worked furiously all day to get everything done for both the party and his duties, so you didn’t see much of him.  When he finally did emerge from his office, he went straight up to his room and you heard a lot of banging around and cursing in German.  You were a little concerned, but you decided to just wait it out.  After about half an hour, he came down the stairs and that was when you almost died.  There he was, big, manly Germany, wearing his usual green army pants with rubber boots cut to look like combat boots and a sparkly black spandex tank top.  You couldn’t contain your laughter and you ended up doubled over, clinging to a chair to keep yourself from falling on the ground from the convulsions of your laughter.  Germany was extremely embarrassed and his face was completely red.  It took you several minutes to recover your composure.

Mmm.  That spandex doesn’t leave anything to the imagination, does it?  Germany looks up and notices you watching him and he makes his way over to you, still dancing.  When he gets close, he shouts out,” Vhy are not you dancink?  It is fun!”

You smile up at him, noticing how flushed his cheeks are.  “It’s fun to watch, too,” you respond.  “Besides, I don’t really know how to dance.”  Hopefully he’s too drunk to remember the time he caught you dancing in the kitchen.

“I koult show you,” he suggests, stumbling over his feet a little.

“No, it’s alright.  You go and have fun,” you tell him.

He looks at you for several moments and you wonder if he heard you.  As you open your mouth to speak, he steps closer to you and touches your hair.  You feel a gentle pulling and then your hair falls down from is situation at the top of your head and brushes your face and shoulders, sending glitter spiraling down to the floor.  You look up at Germany quizzically and he smiles and nods approvingly, slipping the rubber band around his large wrist.

“Zat is better, ja?  You shoult leaf it zat vay,” he tells you.  You blush and nod, hoping no one notices.  “Kome unt dance!”  Germany takes your hand and pulls you onto the dance floor without giving you a chance to reply.

He begins to dance and you stand there uncomfortably, not knowing what to do.  Germany watches you for a few moments and says, “Vat is wrong?”

“I don’t know how to dance,” you reply, having to shout over the music.

“So?  Just mofe vis zee music.  It is easy,” he tells you.

You aren’t so sure about that, but then the music changes and the crowd starts to swoop inward, forming a big huddle in the center of the dance floor.  Everyone is bouncing up and down on the balls of their feet and smiling around at each other.  Apparently, this is something they have done before.  The music gets louder and louder until finally the singer begins.  He sings in German, but you catch a few words that you understand.  Was ist los?  Es ist Party angesagt!” the crowd shouts along with the singer.  They start jumping up and down together and pumping their fists in the air.  You’re caught up in the motion and you have no choice but to join in unless you want to be crushed.

“Wir lassen uns nicht verarschen, wir tanzen und wir toben.  Hebt die Hände nach oben, und dann lasst uns Disco Pogen!!” the crowd shouts, jumping and pounding their fists in the air.  Sparkles are all over the place and the lights and movements are disorienting.  You’re being jostled around and you don’t want to think about what will happen should you fall.

But then you look over at Germany and you see him smiling and all of the apprehension dies away.  He’s sweating and his face is red as he jumps and shouts along with the crowd,”DISCO POGO, Dingelingeling, Dingelingeling.  UND ALLE ATZEN SING’.  DISCO POGO, Dingelingeling, Dingelingeling.  UND ALLE ATZEN SING'.”

You smile as you watch him.  You may not be enjoying the party, but you’re glad that he is.  He looks over at you and smiles down at you.  “Vhat?” he asks you, shouting over the music.

“Nothing,” you tell him, shaking your head.  It’s crazy how different he’s acting, almost like he’s a completely different person.  You wonder once again how much alcohol his brother had him drink, but you kind of don’t want to know.

Finally, the song ends and you’re allowed to back out of the crowd.  You’re hot and sweaty and you’re relieved when you can breathe again and not be pressed up against other people.  You’re just starting to feel alive again when you hear the music change.  The beat is significantly slower and people seem to be pairing up to dance together.  You feel a tap on your shoulder and turn around to see Germany holding one of his large hands out to you.

“Voult you dance vis me?” he asks you.

You shyly take his hand and let him lead you onto the dance floor.  He slips his hands around your waist and you reach up and rest yours on his strong shoulders.  You look down at the floor, too embarrassed to watch Germany.  It’s not that you aren’t enjoying it, but you would rather be with him like this when he’s sober.  It’s harder for you to know if he’s being sincere or not when he’s this drunk.

“(y/n),” he says.  You look up at him and cock an eyebrow questioningly.  “I haf somesink to tell you.”

“What is it?” you ask him.  Your heart is pounding.

“Vell, it is just zat…” he starts to say, but a loud voice interrupts him.

“VEST!  Kesesesesese!” Prussia shouts, grabbing Germany by the shoulder and pulling him away from you.

“Vhat are you doink?” Germany asks Prussia angrily.

“Safink your ass, zat’s vhat,” Prussia tells him triumphantly.

“I vas in ze middle of a confersation, Bruder,” Germany says, glaring down at his older brother.

Ja, and now you’re goink vis zee awesome me.  Kesesesesesese!” Prussia tells him, his red eyes shining with cruel enjoyment as he starts to drag Germany away.  “You’re velcome, (y/n)!”  He throws you a wink and you shudder a little.  Even though he’s Germany’s brother, Prussia creeps you out.  Also, you think it’s weird that the little bird, which is now on his shoulder, is wearing sparkly sunglasses…

You feel a little frustrated.  You were curious about what Germany had to say, but you realize it’s probably better that Prussia dragged him off.  You let out a sigh and look around the room at the dwindling party.  Italy is passed out on a sofa and Japan is having a conversation with Hungary, so you decide to wait until he finishes before leaving.  You sit down on the couch beside Italy and lean your head against the back of it.  You’re exhausted and you have a headache from all of the loud music.  Somehow, you manage to doze off.

When you wake up, you feel something on your shoulder, on your lap, and against your feet.  Your eyelids flutter open and you look around with bleary eyes.  There are people passed out all around the room.  You smile a little to see Austria and Hungary sleeping leaning against each other.  You wish they’d just get together already.  You blink a few times and look over to see Italy asleep against your shoulder, smiling.  Japan is sleeping on the floor near you peacefully.  You look down and the first thing you notice is the blonde hair.  Germany.

It’s a little hard to make out each of his features in the semidarkness, but you have his face well memorized by now.  You tenderly run your fingers through his hair, marveling at how soft it is despite all of the gel he must put in it.  He’s still covered in sparkles from the party, which you find amusing.  You lean forward and brush your lips against his cheek, your hair, which is still hanging loose, curtains both of your faces and mingles with his soft blonde hair.

“Sleep well, my dearest friend,” you whisper as you drift back off into sleep.


Monday, January 19, 2015

Germany x Reader (Most Peculiar)

Konichiwa, reader-sans!  I'm so sorry I haven't posted in so long!  I've been feeling really under the weather and I have just been too tired to do much of anything because of it.  I have some stuff planned to post, though, as soon as I finish it.  I'm basically having the issue that I think many writers have.  I want to get right into the action, but you have to build things up slowly with a character like Germany.  *sigh*  But that's what makes him so adorable, so I can't complain!
I'll apologize in advance about this installment, because it's basically just plot building and doesn't really have anything in it to give you the warm and fuzzy feelings we all want. (>.<)  I promise things will get better!  I just have to build up the tension and stuff!  Gyah.  Well, before I lose my nerve, I'm going to post this.  Sorry again that it's kind of short and boring!  Catch you guys later (I hope...)!


- Turtle-chan




You wake up and stretch, yawning.  The sun is just starting to rise, but you can’t sleep any longer.  You get up, not bothering to change out of the large shirt and short-shorts you sleep in because not even Germany gets up this early.  You walk down the stairs and into the kitchen and look out of the window.  The sky is painted in soft pastel pinks and yellows and it makes you smile.  You go outside and close the door quietly behind you.  Germany’s house is far enough away from others that you feel like it’s alright to go out dressed as you are.


The morning air is a little cool and damp and dew covers the grass.  You suddenly feel inspired and you walk out into the grass and start dancing.  You don’t really have a purpose and the only music you have to go on is the birdsong in the trees, but it doesn’t matter.  You use your strong ankles to push yourself up on the balls of your feet as you push yourself into a pirouette.  You spin once, twice before coming down, your hair flying about your face.  It feels good to be moving, so you keep going, leaping and spinning around the yard.  Your laughter mixes with the birdsong and creates a new kind of music.  Your thighs burn, but it’s a good kind of burning.  You’ve missed this.  It makes you feel strong and beautiful, something that seemed amazing to you back in the real world.


You finally come to a stop, breathless and panting, and turn your face up to the sky.  The sun has come up while you were playing around and it’s starting to warm the earth.  For some reason, you’re just incredibly happy to be alive today.  You run your fingers through your wild hair and walk back inside.


Germany had woken up early today as well, hoping to finish his work from the night before that Italy had taken from him.  On his way to his office, he noticed you out in the yard and was mesmerized by your dancing.  He felt an unexplained happiness and tenderness bubbling up inside of him as he watched you.  When he noticed you turning to go inside, however, he quickly dashed to his office.  He doesn’t want you to know he was watching you.  It embarrasses him.


You open the door and close it behind you as quietly as you can.  You open the refrigerator and pull out the jug of cranberry juice that has become a fixture amongst all of the alcohol that the boys like to drink.  You pull a chair over to get a glass down from the cabinet and you hear a deep voice say,” You coult haf just asket for help,” as you climb down.


You look up to see Germany standing in the doorway, watching you.  “Oh, I didn’t realize you were up,” you respond, blushing and tugging at the hem of your t-shirt.  The shorts just barely cover your backside and you suddenly feel very exposed.


He nods.  “I neet to finish my vork from yesterday,” he explains.


“Oh, well I can help if you’d like,” you tell him.


“Ah, you do not haf to.  It is alright,” he says, shifting uncomfortably.


“Well, if you need help or want help, just let me know.  I get bored around here sometimes, so I really don’t mind,” you tell him with smiling eyes as you take a sip of the juice.


He nods and leaves the room again, going to his office, you assume.  You sigh to yourself as you finish your glass of juice.  I may as well start cooking breakfast since I’m up.  You decide to just go with something simple, so you make pancakes, scrambled eggs, and you decide to fry up some wurst and treat it like a breakfast sausage.  It doesn’t take long for all of the food to send wafts of delicious scent floating throughout the house and Italy comes down the stairs, following his nose.


“Mmm, what are you cooking, (y/n)?  It smells delicious!” Italy says, rubbing his eyes sleepily.


“Pancakes, eggs, and wurst.  It should be ready soon,” you laugh, flipping a pancake.


Japan walks down the stairs silently as usual and comes to a stop beside Italy.  “Did Germany-san go out to train early today?”he asks you.


You glance up at him and say,” Oh, no.  He’s working on some paperwork, I think.”


“Whaat?  He found where I hid it?” Italy exclaims.


You giggle.  “Did you really think he wouldn’t find it?  You hid it next to the pasta, Italy,” you say, trying your best not to let him see you laughing.


You move the last pancake onto the plate and turn off the stove.  “Alright guys, have at it,” you say, stepping back.


As Italy and Japan serve their plates, you go down the hall and knock on the door to Germany’s office.  “Kome in,” he says from within.


You peek your head in through the door and look at Germany who is wearing his glasses.  Wow, he even looks good in glasses.  “I made breakfast,” you tell him.  “Would you like me to bring you some?”


“Ah, ja.  Zat voult be goot,” he says.


You smile and close the door, going back to the kitchen.  You serve a plate for Germany and grab a cup of coffee, black.  You balance the cup and plate precariously and open the door.  “Sorry for not knocking.  My hands were full,” you say apologetically as Germany looks up at you.  He gets up from his desk and takes the cup and plate from you, setting them down on the one clear spot on the desk.  He takes his glasses off and rubs his eyes.


“Zank you,” he says.  “I vill eat it later.”


“Oh no you don’t,” you tell him, putting your hands on your hips.  He looks at you in surprise.  “You skipped dinner last night because you were working.  I’m not letting you skip breakfast, too.”


“Oh.  I dit forget to eat last night, dit not I?” he says musingly.


You cover your face with one hand.  “Geez.  Germany, you’ve gotta work on taking care of yourself better,” you sigh.  You notice the dark circles under his blue eyes that seem to have become permanent as of late.  “Look at you.  You’re overworking yourself and you’re neglecting your health to boot.  Is it the war that’s bothering you or what?”


“It is nosink,” he says, looking away from you.  “I am fine.”


You’re angry, somehow, but it’s the kind of anger you feel when you’re worried about someone and don’t know how to show it.  You give yourself a moment to regain your composure and then you respond.  “Just make sure to eat something, okay?”  You gently squeeze his bicep before leaving the room.


“What’s the matter, (y/n)?  You look sad,” Italy says as you walk into the kitchen.


You look up at him with wide eyes and unconsciously touch a hand to your cheek.  “Hm?  I’m fine,” you say quickly.


“Are you sure?  Was Germany mean to you?” Italy asks, squinting down at you.


“No, I’m fine.  Really,” you tell him, giving him a small smile.


He draws his eyebrows together and studies you for a few more seconds before smiling at you like usual.  “Breakfast was really tasty~!” he says.


“Thanks, Italy,” you giggle.  The boys go their separate ways after putting their plates into the sink and you nibble on a pancake before deciding that you’re not hungry after all.


You go to do the dishes and your hands sting in the hot, soapy water.  I really need to get some lotion or something.  You feel a presence near you, but you don’t look up.  A plate and a mug are lowered into the sink and you hear someone take a deep breath.


“I am sorry, (y/n),” Germany says from behind you.  You still don’t look up.  “I dit not realize zat you vere vorriet.”


“It’s fine,” you say, drying your hands off.


“Are you angry?” he asks and he looks a little afraid.


You think for a moment.  “No,” you reply.  “Just frustrated.”


He nods.  “I see…”


You can’t help but smile.  He’s standing there so sheepishly and he’s just so darn adorable.  “It’s fine, Germany.  I’m over it.  If you weren’t such a workaholic, you just wouldn’t be you,” you tell him laughingly.


He looks at you with flushed cheeks and looks away again, clearing his throat.  “Right.  Vell, ve vill shtart trainink in fife minutes,” he says gruffly.


“I’ll be ready in four,” you tell him playfully as you dash past him and up the stairs.  You make sure to brush against him as you go past.


Japan walks slowly down the stairs as Italy emerges from the hallway where he had been listening in on the conversation.  “Vee~!  See?  I told you she was upset!” Italy boasts to Germany.


“I do not understant you,” Germany mutters, shaking his head.


Italy looks pleased with himself and Japan is mildly surprised.  Italy actually did something right for once and Germany actually apologized.  Strange indeed.

Sunday, January 11, 2015

Germany vs America: Flirting and Dating - Turtle-chan Talks About Love

Konichiwa!  So I mentioned in my last post that I'd done some research for my fanfic and I've been writing Germany's flirting incorrectly for his character, so this post should clear up what I meant by that.  Researching this was extremely interesting for me, particularly because I love learning about foreign cultures.  Here's a basic rundown of the results of my research.  I hope you learn something!
So, flirting and dating is extremely different in other countries, but Germany in particular.  I live in the U.S. and we're really extreme compared to the rest of the world.  In the States, we have boiled dating down to a basic set of rules and I largely can't stand it because those rules make relationships move too fast and feel insincere.  For those of you who aren't familiar with what I'm referring to, it's rules like the three bases (first base is kissing with tongue/making out, second is groping, third is oral sex, and there's a fourth base, also known as a homerun, which is actually having sex), no kissing on the first date (that one is going away a little bit with the younger generation), don't call or text for at least three days after a date, generally people will start throwing the "L" word (love) around after a couple of months, people move in together in anticipation of marriage, if you've gone on three dates and haven't had sex yet then the relationship won't last, etcetera, etcetera.  Most of those rules are only applicable once you are in college or if you are dating as an adult, but many are used when teens date as well.  Boring, boring, boring. There's no spontaneity, no romance.  And worst of all, the relationships move too fast and you end up bored with each other.  In my case, I've always forced guys to slow down which has bored them, so that's another issue.
In Germany, on the other hand, apparently most of that stuff is invalid.  I have read several blog posts and forum threads with American women freaking out because they've found a German guy they are interested in, but he either ignores them or only treats them as friends.  We American girls are used to being hit on and catcalled, so it's kind of a culture shock.  I decided to dig further into the issue and what I came up with is this: in general, German women are mean and German men are shy because of it.  Simple as that.  I read a blog post by an American man living in Germany where he discussed an incident in which he went to a bar and tried to hit on some girls (offered to buy them a drink, smiled, told them they were pretty, etcetera) and they flat out shot him down.  To us Americans, he's Mr. Nice Guy, but to German girls, he's Mr. Creepo that you avoid like the plague.  Strange, huh?  Another blog post I read humorously said that German men have to flirt kind of like they're courting Brunhilde from the German epic poem Nibelungenlied.  If you aren't familiar with it, basically Brunhilde is an Icelandic princess who doesn't want to marry King Gunthar, so Gunthar asks the German Prince Seigfreid to help him best her in a competition of her own creation.  He does so and so she marries King Gunthar, but she doesn't want to be married even still and Seigfried has to help again and I think he hangs her on a nail on the wall or something like that after thoroughly defeating her.  After she's been defeated, Gunthar basically rapes her to consummate their marriage.  Now, I'm not saying rape is considered romance.  What I'm saying is that basically German guys are really awkward, so they're a little rough in their courtship. 
Many of the things I've read have said that flirting for a German guy consists of giving you the Icy Glare of Death for longer than two seconds and then looking away.  They don't talk to you because the women are expected to do the talking and they're intimidated by the women, especially women they don't know well.  It's very interesting.  It's also generally considered very rude to go up and talk to someone you don't know without being introduced first, which doesn't help things.  So, to bypass this, people usually just go get drunk.  Weird, I know.  Also, it is very uncommon for German men to ask girls on dates unless they are serious about the girl, so a man is usually already deeply in love with a girl if he asks her out and it's very exciting for the girl if she gets asked out.  Most first dates in Europe are over coffee, by the way.  In America, a lot of times people go to the movies, as far as I've observed.  I've also read that the way you know you're in a serious relationship with a German is the first kiss.  As long as neither of you are drunk when it happens, then it's serious and you'd probably be considered to be dating exclusively (so, not seeing anyone but that person).
Tips for Flirting With a German Man by Women Who Should Know:
- If you catch him looking at you, smile and maintain eye contact.  Do not be afraid of the Glare!
- Once you start talking, keep up the conversation
- Americans have an advantage: nodding and saying "uh huh" during conversation is usually considered rude in Germany, but it's apparently endearing in foreigners
- Be patient.  A guy could be in love with a girl for years and she wouldn't know it.  It's just how they work.
- Don't be mean!
- He may break dates early on as a means of trying to be "suave."  Don't let it get you down.
- Hang in there and do your best!
So, I've basically concluded that I need to find a nice German man.  I'm such a weirdo about dating and relationships and I'll admit that I have high standards, but for whatever reason, the way Germans do things really appeals to me.  I like that things go slowly, for sure, and I think it's kind of cute that the guys are shy, even if it would mean me being on the receiving end of a German Icy Glare of Death.  I don't know.  It's just neat.  I also like that the first date and first kiss are actually special as opposed to just a dime a dozen.  American guys are too concerned with satisfying their libido to really care about what the girl wants, which is why I've been forced up to second base when I didn't really even want to make it to first, but it seems like it wouldn't be quite as much that way with a German guy.  Maybe?  I don't know for sure, but it just seems like they're more considerate because they aren't having to follow this list of rules that's completely set in stone.  But like I said, I'm weird and kind of old fashioned, so that kind of thing appeals to me.  Also, German accents are freaking sexy!  (>////<)  Haha!
Oh, and if you're not from the States and you believe that our guys are all gentlemen, I'm going to have to burst your bubble a little bit by telling you they're most definitely not.  There are some out there, I'm sure, but they're few and far between.  Even in the South it's hard to find a gentleman under the age of sixty.  Now, I know I'm biased, so you should really take everything I say with a grain of salt, but a lot of the guys I know are so egoistic that they can't think of anything but themselves and usually only date for the social status and physical gratification.  I also don't like the term "love" because it's overused to the point that it has no meaning anymore.  I've been told by a few different guys that they were "in love with me," but that really translates to "you have huge boobs and I want to get into your pants."  DON'T TRUST THEM!!!  At least, not if they say it really early on.  I do believe love exists, which is more than I could say a month ago, but I don't know if people really understand what love means.  Basically, just be careful, ladies.  No matter who you're dating.
And now that I'm off my soapbox, I'm going to sign off before I can get back on it again.  This was just one of those neat little things I had to share with you reader-sans.  I hope you found it interesting.  Catch you guys later!


- Turtle-chan

Saturday, January 10, 2015

Germany x Reader (First Date)

Konichiwa!  I just finished typing up the next part of my fanfiction and I haven't even read back over it yet, so I hope it doesn't completely suck.  I'm pretty sure there are more errors in this one than usual, but I'll go back and fix them later. Gomenasai.  I had to do some researching for this one which I will share with you guys as soon as possible.  Basically, I've been writing Germany's flirting wrong the whole time.  I've been writing him like an American guy.  A very awkward American guy, but still American.  Germans do things completely different.  But that's another post for another night.  I'm going to post this and then finally get some sleep!  I hope you guys enjoy and I'll catch you later!


- Turtle-chan




The day can’t pass quickly enough!  You’ve been up since the wee hours of the morning, your stomach twisting in nervous, excited knots.  You’re going on a date with Germany today, the first date in fact, and you just don’t know what to do with yourself.  Germany, Italy, and Japan have a world meeting to attend during the day, so you have the house to yourself.  Before they left, though, Germany gave you a strict warning to keep all the doors locked and to stay inside no matter what.  You suppose he thinks that one of the other countries will try to pull some sort of trick while he’s away, but you personally doubt that any of the countries other than the Allies know about your existence.


Nevertheless, you follow Germany’s order because it’s better to be safe than sorry.  Besides, you decide that you can put your nervous energy to good use by cleaning the house.  Japan appears to value neatness, but Italy just leaves things everywhere which seems to annoy Germany to no end.  You giggle at the memory of the large man following Italy around as he cooks, cleaning up all of the messes just to find that there are new ones to take their places.


You click the radio on, but there’s nothing good on the airways, so you turn it back off again and settle for the music playing in your head.  It seems like the only kinds of songs you can think of right now are love songs.   It’s strange since you used to hate sappy stuff like that, even when you’ve been in relationships with guys from your world.  You just thought that love was overrated and you dated the boys because you felt like it was a logical decision to make.  You had been romantic as a child, as many young girls are, always dreaming of falling in love and raising a family, but that had died away as you got older.  You learned that romance is just a pretty word to cover up an ugly desire.  All of the boys you’ve dated just wanted you for your body and you were well aware of it.  You let them have what they want, to a certain point.  You have morals.  It’s just that you didn’t really care.  You felt like it didn’t matter what happened to you because it would be the same with any guy, but now you feel embarrassed about it and remembering things like that makes you feel sick to your stomach.  You don’t want Germany to know about that part of your past, but then you also feel like he wouldn’t hate you for it.  Germany makes you think of a lot of things you never thought you would.


You go from room to room, dusting and sweeping, and vacuuming.  You feel a little weird about going into the guys’ rooms, but you know that Italy’s won’t get clean if you don’t do it yourself and you think that the other two would appreciate it.  Italy’s room is about as frightening as you had anticipated it would be.  He has clothes and blankets and materials for making white flags strewn all over the floor.  You actually can’t even see the floor because of all the clutter.  You shudder to yourself a little and then dive in.  All of the clothes you assume are dirty and you throw them in a heap into the hallway to wash when you finish.  The blankets you fold, stacking them neatly on the trunk at the foot of Italy’s bed.  As for the white flags, you gather up the pieces and prop the sticks against the wall out of the way and then you fold up the white fabric and place it on the floor by the sticks.  Then, you go and dust all of the furniture and sweep the wooden floor, gathering up all of the debris into a dustpan.  You strip the sheets off of Italy’s bed and add them to the stack of laundry in the hallway.


You move on to Japan’s room, but you stop outside of the door, realizing that he might be upset by your intrusion.  He has strong feelings about his personal space.  You also aren’t sure how to properly wash his futon.  As you move on to the next room, you stop into yours to retrieve your bed sheets and add them to the pile.  You’re reluctant to enter Germany’s room, but you’re already planning on washing bed sheets, so you go in to get them, resolved to not touch anything else.  As you enter, you can’t help but notice that his room is very simple and neat, just as you’d expect from Germany.  It’s obvious that functionality is valued over comfort.  The only items of furniture in the room are a bed and a dresser and the rest of the room is bare.  You go and take the sheets off of Germany’s bed, which is neatly and crisply made, and go to leave the room.  As you’re walking out, you can’t help but notice that the sheets smell like Germany and it comforts you.  It’s a strong, masculine scent of soap and sweat and something you can’t quite put your finger on.  Realizing that your thoughts are probably a little creepy, you gather up the pile of laundry and carefully make your way down the stairs and into the laundry room.  You decide to wash the sheets first so that you can get the beds made before the men get home.  After setting the timer, you move on to the next task.


You decide to try baking something for the boys and you’re surprised to find all of the ingredients necessary for making chocolate cake.  Perfect.  You pull all the ingredients you need out of the cabinet and start preheating the oven as you set a small pot of water on to boil.  First come the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, cocoa powder, etcetera.  You whisk them all together thoroughly and then start adding the wet ingredients: milk. Eggs, vanilla extract, etcetera.  You whisk them in with the dry ingredients vigorously until you have a somewhat thick batter.  Then, you carefully pour the boiling water in and whisk as quickly as you can for two minutes.  With the batter ready, you get on a chair and pull down two cake pans and grease the inside with butter and flour to prevent the cake from sticking.  You split the batter between the two pans and then slide them into the oven, setting the timer.


Around the time you finish cleaning up from baking, you hear the washing machine timer go off and you go to put the bed sheets in the drier and Italy’s clothes into the washer.  Then, you go back to cleaning the kitchen.  It doesn’t take long to make sure everything is spotless and you wonder briefly what you’re going to do next, but then the oven timer goes off and you pull the cakes out.  When you test them with a toothpick, it comes out clean so you know they are ready.  You take the cake out of the pans and place it on a cooling rack so that you’ll be able to ice them more quickly.  While you wait for the cake to cool and the laundry to finish, you sit at the kitchen table and look outside.


It’s a beautiful, sunny day and the weather is warm and almost perfect.  You smile to yourself in excitement, wondering what Germany has planned for the date.  You’ve never been this excited for a date before.  It’s a little strange for you, but you don’t mind it so much.  You just hope you don’t get all awkward and clam up when you’re with Germany.  That would be embarrassing.


At some point during your musing, the timer on the dryer sounds and you go to rotate the laundry again.  You take the sheets up and make the beds.  You do Italy’s first, knowing it won’t last long but admiring how nice his room looks after a little cleaning.  Then, you do your room quickly but neatly.  Last is Germany and you take your time with his.  You want to make sure it’s as perfect as he left it.  You make sure to pull the sheets taut and to smooth out all of the wrinkles.  When you’re satisfied with your work, you go back downstairs and make icing for the cake.  It just takes whipping butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, milk, and vanilla extract together and you could almost do it in your sleep by now.  The cakes are cool enough to ice, so you set the two pieces out as well as a cake stand, which you’re surprised Germany even owns, and you start icing.  You hear the boys coming up the walkway as you finish cleaning up and you smile.  Soon.


Italy is the first one inside and as soon as he hits the doorway he says,” Vee~!  I smell cake!”


Japan follows him inside and says nothing, as usual.  Germany is the last one in and he walks over to the table where the cake is and examines it.  “Dit you make zis, (y/n)?” he asks you.


You nod.  “I did.  Sorry I did it without asking first.  It’s just been a while since I’ve baked anything and I felt like making a cake.  I’m sure you guys will be able to eat it, though,” you respond, grinning at Italy.


He nods enthusiastically and you laugh.  Germany nods stiffly and says,” I vill haf to try some, zen.”


You smile up at him and turn back to washing the dishes you used for making the cake and icing.  The water is cold and you worry a little that your hands will be rough and chapped.  You don’t expect anything to happen.  It’s just a casual date, after all.  It probably doesn’t mean anything really, but you decide to make sure to put lotion on after you’re done anyway.


“You appear to be lively today, (y/n)-san,” Japan says quietly from somewhere behind you.  You hadn’t realized he was still in the room, but you’ve gotten used to it.


“Do I?” you reply, feeling yourself smiling again.


“Vee~!  She has a date today, Japan, so she should be excited!” Italy tells Japan loudly and cheerfully.  You hadn’t realized he was still in the room either.


You giggle to yourself and put the dried dishes in a stack on the counter as you go to get a chair.  As you walk past him, you notice Japan watching you intently.  You wonder why he does that so often.  It’s a little discomfiting.


You set the chair down and stand in it to put all of the dishes back in their places.  You shut the cabinet doors and climb back down carefully.  As you go to take the chair back to the table, a large hand lifts it and you back up.  Germany carries the chair with one hand and sets it down on the floor before turning back and walking in the direction of his office.  “Thanks,” you say as he reaches the doorway.  He passes through and you don’t know if he heard you, but you decide to leave it be.


“Vee~!  (y/n)!  Come with me!” Italy says, frolicking his way up the stairs.  You follow him and when he reaches the top he calls down,” You come, too, Japan~!”


Italy leads you to his bedroom and sits you down on the bed.  Japan comes in a few moments later.  Italy looks excited and you’re a little confused.  “We’re going to help you get ready for your date!” Italy exclaims.  Japan nods solemnly from beside him.


“I-it’s fine.  You guys really don’t have to…” you tell them, a little afraid of what Italy might have planned.


“We want to help!  It’ll be fun!” he responds and you know it’s useless to argue.


 You glance out the window and notice how late in the afternoon it is.  The sun will be setting soon.  While you aren’t paying attention, Italy starts to brush your hair and it startles you.  You manage to hold still as he yanks out the tangles and starts to style it.  It only takes a few minutes and you’re surprised at how deft he is.  When he finishes, he turns to Japan and says,” Your turn~!  I’m going to go check on Germany,” and then leaves.


Japan leads you into his room which is decorated traditionally and has neat little piles of manga on a bookshelf against the wall.  He kneels on the floor and you do as well.  He digs around in a drawer for a few moments before pulling something out.  It’s makeup, which you haven’t worn since you were in your own world.  He holds the makeup out to you and simply says,” Here.”


“Thank you,” you  tell him gratefully as you take the makeup out of his hands, being careful not to touch him.  He nods and stands.  You stand as well and go to your room.


You set all of the makeup out on the dresser and look into the mirror.  You don’t look bad without makeup by any means, but just a little makeup makes a huge difference.  Without makeup, you’re pretty, but with makeup, you’re beautiful.  It’s a pretty amazing transformation, actually.  So before you put any makeup on, you go over to the bathroom and wash your face.  When you finish, you head back to your room and get started.


You look at the array of makeup, wondering how on earth the guys found it and how awkward it was for them to get it.  You smile to yourself a little at the thought of Italy and Japan looking at makeup.  Italy would be fascinated by all of the colors and Japan would be considering everything very seriously.  You’re basically happy with what they picked out.  You generally wear brown eyeliner and mascara, but black works just as well.  And a nice purple looks good with almost any eye color if you use it correctly.  Pleased with what you have to work with, you get started.  You carefully draw a thin black line on your upper and lower lashlines and then move on to the eyeshadow, making sure to keep it light.  When you’re done, you swipe on some mascara and take a look at yourself.  As expected, you look gorgeous and you see for the first time what Italy has done with your hair.  He has it parted a little off center and has twisted a portion of the hair in front of your ear on one side back and pinned it with a little flower clip.  It’s pretty and elegant and it shows off your long hair, which you really like.


The sun is setting now, so you decide to change your clothes.  You aren’t sure what Germany has planned, so you don’t really know what to wear.  You pretty much don’t have anything but clothes to work out in and the clothes you were wearing when you came to this world, so you decide to wear those since they are nicer than the workout clothes.  You squeeze yourself into the black skinny jeans and then slip on the red scoop-neck shirt.  You realize that it shows a lot more cleavage than all of the clothes you’ve worn since you have been living with the Axis Powers and you feel a little self-conscious, but you wear it anyway.


“(y/n)~!” Italy calls from the bottom of the steps.


You run out into the hall and make your way quickly down the stairs after slipping on your shoes, a pair of grey flats.  “I’m coming, Italy!” you call out as you move.


At the bottom of the stairs is a satisfied Italy and an uncomfortable-looking Germany.  He’s wearing a pair of jeans tucked into combat boots, a tight black shirt, and a leather jacket over it.  It’s the first time you’ve seen him wearing anything but a military uniform and you have to admit that he looks hot.  Well, he always looks hot, but this is a different kind of hot.


You realize that you’ve been staring at him for too long and you look away.  Italy giggles and says,” You look pretty, (y/n)~!  Doesn’t she, Germany?”


J-ja,” Germany stutters, glancing away from you.  You realize he’s been staring the whole time.


You blush and stare at your feet, playing with your fingers.  “Well!  Go on!” Italy says, shooing the two of you closer to each other and toward the door.


Germany quickly moves to hold the door open for you and you thank him, stepping outside.  The air has cooled a little, but it feels pleasant.  Germany follows you out and you see Italy waving cheerfully from the window with Japan standing behind him.  You smile and wave back before turning to Germany.  “So, where to?” you ask him.


He glances down at you and says,” Do you like coffee?”  You nod in response.  “Zis vay, zen.”


You smile up at him and walk beside him.  You use all of the tricks you’ve learned from past experience to make a guy feel more comfortable.  You keep your hands loosely at your sides and away from your legs in case he wants to hold them but doesn’t want to freak you out by brushing against your thigh, stuff like that.  He, on the other hand, keeps his hands buried in the pockets of his jacket.  You don’t talk as you walk, but you notice Germany keeps glancing at you.  You wonder if he feels awkward.  You just don’t know how to react around him.


Before you know it, Germany comes to a stop in front of a little coffee shop.  You stumble to a stop next to him, tripping over your own feet.  He opens the door for you and you thank him, smiling up at him as you walk through.  Again, he just looks at you and then glances away.  You’re starting to feel extremely self-conscious and you’re afraid that you’re doing something wrong.


“Vat vould you like?” Germany asks you, tearing you away from your thoughts.


“Oh, um, I don’t know.  I’ll just have whatever you’re having,” you respond, a move you have used many times in the past.


Germany doesn’t respond, but rather he goes up to the counter and places the order.  You hang back a little awkwardly and wait.  You look over at Germany, but his face is unreadable.  He glances at you before you turn away, so you maintain eye contact with him.  It’s like having a staring contest, almost.  You can’t help but look away first, blushing.  He was staring at you so intently and you felt like you were going to fall into those blue eyes of his.


It doesn’t take long before your drinks are ready and Germany hands yours to you.  You blow on the steaming liquid and take a small sip.  It’s blacker than some of the metal music you listen to, so you go to add sugar and creamer.  Germany drinks his as is and watches you stir the sugar in.


“So, how was the world meeting?” you ask him, trying to strike up a conversation while you wait for your coffee to cool.


Germany sighs and shakes his head before answering.  “Nozing vas akomplishet.  Zose foolish Allies did nozing but argue unt bicker zee whole time,” he tells you.


“Did you really expect any different?” you ask him teasingly, cocking an eyebrow and giving him a lopsided, closed-lip smile.


He stares at you for a few moments before saying,” Nein.  I suppose I dit not.  I am zurroundet by idiots.”


Yikes.  I hope he doesn’t mean me!  “Well, you can’t fix stupid,” you chuckle, taking a sip of your coffee.


Ja.  I zuppose you are korrekt,” he responds resignedly.


“Well, how was your day otherwise?” you ask him after a brief pause.


“I fineshet most of my vork before Italy took it.  I do not know vere he put it, but I neet it back.  Zee papervork nefer ends,” he replies in a frustrated tone.


“Don’t worry about it.  I’ll get it back from Italy for you.  I know you’ll be able to get it done, so don’t stress over it.  It’s not healthy,” you tell him, looking at him with concern.  You were worried something like this would happen.  You leave yourself a mental note to talk to Italy about taking Germany’s work from him.


“Zank you for vorryink, (y/n).  You are fery kint,” Germany tells you, looking you in the eyes.


You blush and look away from him, feeling embarrassed.  As you move to cross your legs, you accidentally brush against Germany’s under the table.  “Ah!  I’m sorry,” you blurt out.  You wonder if you’re feeling hot because of the coffee or if it’s something else.


Nein.  Ist es fein,” he responds in German.  You understand what he means, though.


You’re both blushing and the conversation has sort of died off, so you desperately search around for something to talk about.  “Could you teach me some German?” you ask him, speaking without thinking.  You instantly feel embarrassed, but it catches Germany’s attention and he makes eye contact with you.


“Vhy vould you vant to learn my language?  It sounds ‘skary’ as Italy has tolt me,” he says, watching how you react.


“I like the way it sounds,” you answer, feeling how hot your cheeks are.  “I’ve always thought that it sounds very strong and masculine.  It seems like the language of a very disciplined people, and I like that.  And it doesn’t hurt that all music sounds instantly more brutal when sung in German!”


Germany’s cheeks are flushed slightly pink by the time you’re done talking.  “You haf…  fery interestink opinions,” he tells you.  “But I vill teach you if zat is vhat you vant.”


“Really?  Thank you,” you say, flashing him a bright, genuine smile.


Germany looks amazed, as though he’s never seen you smile before.  You wonder what is so shocking, but you don’t dare ask.  You’ve both finished your coffee and you’ve been in the shop for about forty-five minutes more or less, so Germany suggests leaving.  He takes your empty cup and throws it away for you and joins you at the door, holding it open for you again.  When you step outside, the temperature has dropped significantly and it feels a little chilly to you now.


“Voult you like to go straight back or voult you like to go for a valk first?” Germany asks you.


“I wouldn’t mind going for a walk.  I was cooped up in the house all day, so I’m sure the fresh air will do me good,” you tell him.


“Alright,” he says as he starts walking.  There is a park nearby which he leads you to and you walk side by side making small talk.


“It’s funny.  Even though I know there’s a war going on right now, everything feels really peaceful here,” you say, shivering slightly.


“I am glat you sink zat vay,” Germany replies.  After a brief silence, he speaks up again.  “Do you…  Do you like it here?  I do not know vhere you kame from, but I am sure it is tryink to life vis three men zat are only slightly more zan strangers.”


You stop walking and look at him, hugging yourself for warmth and to stop your shivering.  He stops walking as well and he meets your gaze.  “I really like it here,” you tell him with a smile.  “I was a little scared at first when I woke up in a strange place all battered and beat up, but I don’t think I was ever scared of any of you guys.  You’ve all been very kind to me and I really appreciate it.  I’m sorry I’ve imposed on you for so long.  It’s just that I don’t know how to get back home.  I’m not really sure how I got here in the first place, to be honest.”


As you finish talking, you trail off and look down at your hands which you are nervously toying with.  You feel something heavy and warm fall over your shoulders and you look up to see Germany glancing away from you in just his t-shirt.  You stick your arms through the sleeves and zip the jacket up carefully, still watching Germany.  Is he… blushing?  “Thank you,” you say quietly.


“It is nozing,” he responds in a tight voice.  Ah, he’s embarrassed.


“I feel so tiny,” you giggle, flapping your arms around in the sleeves of the jacket that are way too long for you.  As you do so, you notice that the jacket smells like Germany and you smile.


Germany watches you flap around for a moment and lets out a brief, quiet chuckle.  “I sink at least two of you vould fit in zere,” he tells you in a tone of amusement.


You beam up at him and giggle, wrapping your arms around yourself again.  “V-vell it is gettink late, so vee shoult probably go back,” he tells you, getting embarrassed again.


“Alright,” you respond cheerfully.


You walk back in silence, but it’s a peaceful, content sort of silence.  You’re very happy because you’ve realized Germany was probably embarrassed this whole time.  It’s the first time you and Germany have really spent time alone together, so it’s natural for there to be a little awkwardness.


You reach the door more quickly than you would wish and the two of you go inside.  “Thank you for taking me out,” you tell Germany.  “I had a lovely time.”


“I dit as vell,” he responds solemnly.


You unzip the jacket and slip it off.  “Thanks for lending it to me.  I should have brought my own,” you tell him with a wry smile.


“It is fine.  I did not neet it anyvay,” he tells you, taking the jacket out of your hands.


The two of you stand in silence and gaze at each other for a few long moments before you break the silence.  “You look exhausted.  You should go to bed soon,” you tell Germany, noticing dark purple circles under his eyes.


“I am fine.  I neet to finish my vork,” he tells you.  Always trying to be manly.


“Well yes, work is important, but your health is more important.  You need to take better care of yourself, Germany.  If you don’t, then all of your work will go undone and you could very well be unable to fight this war or save Italy and Japan when they get into trouble.  I’ll help you with the paperwork tomorrow, so please just get some rest now,” you say, pleading with him.  You know he doesn’t take care of himself like he should and you really are worried that he’ll collapse, so you fight dirty.  You give him the doe eyes, the eyes that no man can resist.  It’s manipulative, but you feel like you’re using it for good, so maybe it’ll be okay.


He holds your gaze for a second or two before he has to look away.  “Alright, alright.  But only zis once,” he says, relenting.


“Good.  Well, I’ll start heading for bed myself, I think,” you tell him with a soft smile.  “Goodnight, Germany.”


“Goodnight, Mädchen ,” he replies.


You make your way up the stairs and Germany walks over to the coat closet near the front door to hang his jacket up.  As he walks over, he notices the scent of your perfume on his jacket and he breathes it in and closes his eyes for a few moments.  Then, he hangs the jacket up and goes upstairs to his room to prepare for bed.  Meanwhile, Japan mentally takes notes.