Chapter One: A Puzzles Emerges

It's 10:30 A.M. on the first day of the spring of 2016 in Berlin. Ludwig is hosting the first of a series of peace conferences taking place around the continent to try and unify Europe against the more advanced threats of the current era.

For once in the nation's young life, it seemed that Ludwig had managed to make everybody happy by initiating a new series of peace conferences, and asking the other nations to commit to enhancing the new order of diplomacy that supposedly "began" after WWI. He smiled when he noticed that everyone was actually taking this seriously. It was a dream come true for the blonde perfectionist. He occasionally glanced over at the leaders of these countries, who had agreed to accompany the embodiments of Europe to try and achieve stability in their continent. They seemed to be putting aside their differences, at least for now. Perhaps finally, the rest of Europe had realized how severe the consequences would be if they were divided while trying to face their enemies.

Soon, it was time for the personifications and the leaders of the European nations to separate. The Personifications would hold a meeting concerning social policies, while their leaders discussed political and economic decisions. On the way out of the room, Ludwig felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Gilbert grinning proudly.

"Gotta hand it to you West, this wasn't such a bad idea. I'm surprised you're handling the pressure so well."

"Well, I suppose the solution to controlling all the bickering that happens around here was just easing up a little."

Two hours later, it was time for a lunch break. Everything was running so smoothly that Ludwig was practically pinching himself. An excited, auburn-haired male grabbed him by the arm. "Lud, you wanna eat lunch together?" The cheery grin on his face indicated that the German probably didn't have a choice.

"Oi, you two! Care to join us at the bakery down the street?" Ludwig turned to see Arthur, accompanied by Francis, Antonio, and Lovino. He tilted his head worriedly, eyeing Lovino's solemn expression. "I'm not sure if-"

"Potato head, don't you dare say no because of me. It'll spoil the mood." Lovi crossed his arms with a light "hmpf." It seemed like even he was trying to get along today, and with a German no less.

Ludwig shrugged his shoulders, giving a slow nod. "I guess we'll be tagging along then." He and Feli joined the others, headed to one of Berlin's finest bakeries. How could they resist when it was only two minutes away from the conference building?

One hour later…

"Put down the scotch, Angleterre. I'm not allowed to let you get drunk, remember?" Francis smirked and leaned under the table, rubbing Arthur's thigh teasingly.

Ludwig rolled his eyes as Arthur retorted with filthy sailor's curses and insults. 'This is just their way of having a good time,' he reminded himself. He glanced at Feli's napkin, watching with interest as the Italian began sketching on it with a pen that one of the waitresses left behind.

"Who's that?" He asked, examining the a face that the Italian often drew on various surfaces in his spare time. It was that of a young boy. Ludwig had seen it more than once, but hadn't asked about it until now.

Feli gave a small gasp and turned the napkin over. "N-nothing, I mean, no one, nobody in particular. It's one of the first sketches I've ever drawn. Old habits die hard, right?" He let out a short giggle, crumpling up the napkin and tossing it into the nearest trash can.

Ludwig raised his brows in amusement, giving him a knowing shadow of a smirk. "Right, just an old sketch." He solemned up slightly when traces of fear gleamed in Feli's amber hues. "Hey, I was only teasing. There's no need to get upset."

There was this odd feeling jabbing at the back of the blonde's mind. It was familiar, like the faint stirring of a thought he forgot after failing to consider it for quite some time. He shook his head, trying to ignore it.

"Ludwig? Did you hear me?" The German was shaken out of his entrancing thoughts by the sound of Antonio's voice. He shook his head. Toni smiled, a devious grin on his face.

"We're going around the table and telling everyone about our first kiss. You've got to pay attention! Lovi, we're starting with you~"

The older Italian's eyes widened slightly. "What? I thought you said that fratallo was going first!" Everyone burst into laughter.

"Oh, come on. It's not really that embarrassing, is it?" The Spaniard looked hurt.

"Fine! I was taking a nap one afternoon, and when he thought I was still asleep, Antonio kissed me on the lips." Lovino saw Antonio's jaw drop a bit and smirked. "Oh, I forgot. You still had no idea that I knew."

The nations had the most ridiculous love lives. Ludwig found himself stifling a small laugh, or coughing upon hearing the recollections of some of the others seated around him.

"What about you, Ludwig? Have you kissed anyone yet?" Arthur nudged him in the shoulder, curiosity written across his features. Naturally, he wanted to know which rumors, if any, were true about the German.

"Well, I have…" This alone elicited sounds of excitement from the others. He had to wait for Lovi to hiss 'shut up!' before going on.

His face was beginning to heat up as he remembered the time he kissed his brother on the lips before being told that this greeting wasn't appropriate for siblings to use with one another. "I was little, I didn't know any better, and one day, I…" He drifted off, as if trying to recall correctly, when he suddenly slipped into deep thought again.

He saw a glimpse of an old dream he used to have. There was an adorable little kid in a rather frilly outfit staring into his eyes with adoration, giving him a dreamy, teary eyed look. He was holding the child's hands, and he himself remembered being a child. He remembered that in the dream, he was murmuring something, but the only fragment he could recall was "...a kiss…"

"Luddy? Ludwig!" Feliciano shook him worriedly, seeing how he'd been staring blankly at the others for about ten seconds.

He blinked, finding himself at the center of attention. "...Oh. It was just a dream," he answered, shaking it off like it was no big deal.

The others, unfortunately, weren't buying his explanation. Feli was fidgeting uncomfortably, nibbling at the pastry he'd ordered on a whim.

The subject was quickly changed, the others carrying on about the first time they'd gone drinking together. Ludwig frowned slightly and nudged Feli.
"Are you sure you're feeling ok? You haven't been eating."

Feliciano smiled sweetly. "Si, don't worry so much. I had a lot for breakfast. What about you?"

"Oh- me? I'm doing great." He raised a brow as he watched his friend's expression. "You don't believe me. Why?"

"You spaced out twice during lunch. You didn't get enough enough sleep last night, did you?"

That wasn't true. Ludwig had slept for 10 hours last night. But he didn't Feli to keep worrying about something even he wasn't sure how to explain, so he nodded, feigning a small amount of guilt and looking away slightly.

"I knew it! Well- we have another break in the late afternoon. You're going to take a nap today." Ludwig opened his mouth to argue, but the Italian placed a hand over his mouth and shook his head, giving him a small, half-hearted glare.

"Whoa, whoa, looks like Feli isn't wasting any time!" Francis teased, provoking a fit of screaming from Lovino, who was about ready to lunge at them both from across the table.

Ludwig pushed Feli's hand away and checked his watch. "We better get back to the conference. The next session is starting in five minutes."

On the way out, he threw his empty, plastic cup away, casting a glance into the trash can and surveying what was visible of Feli's sketch. "Hm," he muttered to himself, following the others back to the meeting place.

"... a kiss…"

To be continued…

Author's Note: Heya, it's Fusion here! I'm super excited to be starting a new fanfiction. I tried really hard to continue my first one, "We've Already Met Before!", but too much time had passed, and I couldn't remember how I was planning on finishing the story. This is a story I decided on making based on the assumption that Germany is the Holy Roman Empire, but lost all his memories when Germany was founded. I hope you like it. Brace yourselves for an even more exciting chapter 2, since this chapter is sort of an introduction into the plot.

Let me know how you liked this chapter by leaving a review, or shoot me a message if you have any other fanfic ideas you'd like me to write out in the future. I love to hear requests or ideas that I can use in my stories.

Sincerely,

~Hazel Fusion, your friendly neighborhood Hetalia lover.