No matter how many miles you crawl, walk, or run, the moon never gets any bigger in the sky, never any closer. And at that moment, Ludwig never wanted to be any farther from where he was, but closer to the moon than ever before.
He stood in the hallway above the Great Hall, his uniform in tip-top shape, with the medals that hung on his chest gleaming under the light of the chandeliers. However, this appearance of a young soldier was deceiving, for beneath all the medals and glory, he felt broken and uncomfortable. Music and laughter floated up, seeming to swirl around, but have no effect on him. He gazed out of the tall windows, specked with raindrops from the sun shower just bursting into the streets of Berlin.
He figured the iron cross that was strung around his neck, starring at the people below, scrambling to take cover from the sudden rain. A fountain stood in the middle of the square, water spraying into the air, mixing with the rain and sunlight to create a vivid rainbow across the cobblestone street that only Ludwig seemed to notice.
It was then, as he looked upon the rainbow that he noticed a thin figure, sitting on the edge of the fountain. The young man tilted his head back, a small smile played on his lips as he embraced the raindrops cascading down around him. The light behind him seemed to illuminate the rain around him, forming a halo around his light brown, almost red hair, making him look like the subject of an Italian Renassiance painting.
Ludwig focused on the man, possibly no older than he was. He wasn't quite sure why he was intent on watching him, it was something about his smooth, calm demeanor that caught his attention. Nowadays people always seemed to walk around with a grim aurora, the war taking its toll on everyone. But not this person. The way he seemed content to sit in the rain, and let the droplets splash against his face even though he was getting soaked made him seem detached from the rest of the world.
Another man crept up behind Ludwig and placed a hand on his shoulder, pulling him back to reality. Without turning his gaze away from the scene in the square below, he said quietly, almost to himself, "I'll be down in a moment."
"Our guests are waiting for your arrival," his father said in his usual, stern voice. Ludwig sighed, he knew he couldn't avoid the celebration for much longer. "Ludwig," his father continued, "Do not keep them waiting much longer."
Ludwig didn't reply, he only gazed longingly at the street, wishing he too could enjoy the cold but sweet sensation of raindrops trailing down his face, tracing every curve and indentation of his scarred face.
"Let me see you, boy," his father said, more forcefully this time. Ludwig had no other choice but to turn away from the square below and face his father.
His father looked him up and down, inspecting his uniform with pride in his eyes. Ludwig just stared into his father's eyes, now level with his own. He remembered when he used to look up to meet his father's gaze, when he used to look up to his father at all. Now all he could see was the man who was proud to send his own son to his death.
Tucking the iron cross back into his son's uniform, now satisfied that the uniform was perfect, he turned around and started down the hallway, his back straight, shoulders back, and his stride long and purposeful. Ludwig watched him for a moment, and turned back toward the window.
He jumped back, nearly knocking a vase over behind him. The man sitting at the fountain at whom he had been watching was staring right back, directly at him. At first Ludwig thought that he must have been looking at something else, but the man smiled and waved, chuckling to himself at Ludwig's startled expression.
Ludwig turned around, wondering if maybe someone else stood behind him, someone else the man in the square had been looking at. But the hall was empty, even his father had descended down into the Great Hall.
With a shrug, Ludwig turned back to look once more at the man in the square, only to find the mysterious man had disappeared.
Thanks so much for reading! i dont normally do hetalia fics, but figured i would try this one out. let me know what you think!
comments and suggestions are always welcomed!
hope to have the next chapter up in a couple of days