Klaus rests his chin on his hand, a very smug expression on his face. His eyes locked on his counterpart. Gilbert is pacing on top of a table in the front of the room leading the meeting to get it started. He jumped up there to stop the Englands and Frances from fighting over their sons the Canadas, yelling for all to hear that the meeting is starting and to shut up. Klaus took out his headphones when he ran up there, excited to hear the tone of his voice.
He giggles a little when Gilbert finishes reading a paper and just tosses it over his shoulder to the ground. Gilbert commands attention and Klaus loves it. Naturally, Gilbert's silver hair and red eyes are attention grabbing, but being older than most of the nations here and having a lot of experience, he demands respect. Not because of his yelling for attention, but because of who he is. Klaus noticed the way the other nations sat up when Gilbert started speaking. He may not be his own nation anymore, but there is no way anyone can deny Gilbert knows what he is talking about. Plus, he's loud. Klaus loves that too.
He sighs dramatically as his counterpart continues speaking. When they first started having these meetings, Klaus didn't even know if he could go. These meeting are for nations of both worlds, and Klaus doesn't have a nation to his name anymore. Lutz, his little brother, the representation for Germany, told him to 'get your shit together' though when the first meeting came around. Lutz had been gracious enough to claim Klaus as East Germany when his kingdom fell and it made Klaus ridiculously happy that his brother wanted him at the meeting. He pays attention more than his brother, so he suspects Lutz just took him along to have him take notes so he doesn't have to, but he doesn't mind. He's just happy to be included.
The meetings aren't fun really. It's five days of griping and complaining and yelling nations. They happen three times a year, and all the nations from both worlds come to the other America to fight with each other. Well most of the nations fight. Klaus directs his eyes to Luciano and Feliciano, the representations for North Italy, holding hands underneath the table they share. Klaus had been ecstatic when they got together. Luciano needs some happiness in his life to outweigh his anger. He then moves his attention to Matt and Matthew, the representations of Canada. He and Matt have been friends for some time, he even trained the kid long ago. The two are cuddling taking notes together.
Klaus remembers their breakfast together during the last week of meetings. He and Gilbert had invited Matt and Matthew out for food. When Gilbert had mentioned a very awkward date he had with Matthew at that diner, Matt had frozen up. Klaus noticed right away. He typed out a message to himself, pretending that Ludwig, Gilbert's little brother and the other representation for Germany, needed them. He forced Gilbert to read it to get them out there. He explained on their way back to the hotel his plan. Gilbert enjoyed the idea of leaving those two alone for a 'date'. The meeting after that had been obviously awkward, but it worked out somehow, so Klaus felt accomplished.
Gilbert jumps off the table after speaking and struts his back to their joint desk, a wild smirk on his face. Klaus rolls his eyes as Gilbert winks at him. Gilbert lets out a soft snicker as he takes out his notebook. He admires Gilbert. He's strong and smart, a lot more than he lets on. He's got a plethora of friends and plenty of people who look up to him. Plus, he and Ludwig actually get along. His smirk makes it seem like he knows more, which he probably does. His true smile though is just as enticing. Klaus loves everything about him. Most of all, he loves the way Gilbert sounds.
It had been so weird for everyone from his world to hear Gilbert. It had been so weird for Klaus to hear what he could have sounded like, but it felt wonderful to know that this is what his voice could have been. Gilbert's voice is a little raspy. Klaus finds it soothing to listen too, and horribly terrifying when his counterpart wants to sound threatening. He likes that too though, the way it sends shivers down his spine. Gilbert is loud and not shy to make random noises or show his emotions through his words. He talks a lot. Klaus likes that, Gilbert can talk enough for the both of them. Gilbert decided he would when they first met.
As the gateway opened, Klaus fought beside Lutz. He protected Roland with Santiago, the two of them working together after such a long time of fighting. The battle hadn't been bloody for them. It ended almost as soon as it started. The other England explained he accidentally opened a gateway between their worlds, the initial breaching causing an explosion that had originally set off the idea their world was under attack. That's when they found out there are two of all of them. Luciano, being the one in charge, suggested finding their counterparts. Klaus had been one of the first to find his. Although, it may really have been Gilbert who found him.
"Hey! Where is the awesome other Prussia?!" Klaus's attention immediately went to a short haired silver headed nation who had climbed up onto a nearby table. A wide smile broke across his face as he realized that the nation referred to himself as Prussia. A smile that grew when it occurred to him, the nation could talk. Klaus couldn't tell if the man looked more excited, because there are two of him, or irritated, because there are two of him. Klaus worked his way through the crowd and yanked on his sleeve. The nation's head snapped down to him, his red eyes catching Klaus's attention. He didn't expect to see red eyes in this world.
He jumped down off the table and stared at Klaus. Then the nation stepped forward suddenly and stood nose to nose with him, catching Klaus off guard, his eyes going wide. The nation stood at least a few inches taller than him. Then a surprised smile made its way onto his face and a rambunctious laugh spurting from his lips. Klaus stared wide eyed. He sounded amazing. The nation reached his hands up and stretched out Klaus's cheeks.
"Dude your hair is looonnnngggg~" He mused, moving to tug at the strands. Klaus swatted him away, a smile creeping onto his face. The nation introduced himself as Gilbert, the most awesome country of Prussia.
"What's your name awesome other me?" The question made Klaus snicker. He enjoyed the company of his counterpart already. He signed out his name, making Gilbert's face twist up into utter confusion.
"Sign language?" Gilbert asked softly, as if he couldn't believe it. Klaus made a sheepish face. He didn't think if his counterpart could understand him. It would make communication ridiculously difficult. He hoped Gilbert didn't think him too hard to talk to. He already really liked the way Gilbert sounds and wanted to hear more of him. A task that would have been hard to achieve if Gilbert didn't like him. That's when a blonde nation standing next to Al, who looked suspiciously like the rebellious American, started laughing.
"Haha! You talk so much your other self doesn't!" Gilbert gave the still laughing nation a disbelieving look, arguing with him. Klaus looked down to the ground kind of embarrassed at the accusation. Not being able to talk hadn't been his choice. Al rolled his eyes, smirking at the blonde nation next to him.
"It's not that he doesn't talk porkchop. He can't. Klaus is mute." Klaus gave a hopeful glance to Gilbert. He didn't want his counterpart to dislike him because of something he couldn't help. Gilbert in turn just stared back at him in bewilderment. Then he looked up to the sky, opening and closing his mouth, trying to find the words to say.
"You.. can't talk?" Klaus shook his head. Gilbert puffed up his face in puzzlement. He near expected the talking version of himself to be mad. Before Gilbert could say anything more, a small bird appeared from the distance and landed in his hair. The nation raised his eyes to the small puff of yellow. The bird chirped then flapped it's way over to rest in Klaus's hair. Then Gilbert laughed, a loud entertained sound that made Klaus breath a sigh of relief.
"You gotta help me re-learn sign language then, cause I am so rusty and that's not awesome." Klaus swears that's when he fell in love. Gilbert's smile worked like a virus, making Klaus smile back at him. Gilbert decided he would be Klaus's voice and say the things he wanted to. Klaus rolled his eyes at the promise, he didn't mind not talking. He had grown used to not speaking. Gilbert made good on that promise though. One of his shenanigans had Klaus in front of a mirror mouthing out words while Gilbert spoke aloud beside him. It felt weird to do. He kept to his own promise too and helped Gilbert re-learn sign language. The excitement in Gilbert's eyes when they started to work on his hand motions made Klaus really wish he could speak, just to tell Gilbert he loved him.
Klaus put one of his earbuds back into his ear. He can still pay attention to the meeting and listen to music despite what Roland, the Austria from his world, says. He always keeps his MP3 with him. He started listening to it during meetings when he realized that some of the topics do not concern him or his country. Also, some of the topics drag on and on and on and he needs something else to listen to. Gilbert has noticed his MP3 many times. Sometimes they listen to it together when someone talks. His counterpart has asked multiple times to borrow it, to listen to his music. Klaus always tells him not yet or not right now. Gilbert always pouts.
The Americas are talking about the environment and it makes Klaus smirk. Al is leaning on the table in front, practically undressing Alfred with his eyes, and everyone else can see it, but Alfred. He starts to snicker as Al licks his lips. The kid can be so crass sometimes. Gilbert catches his motion and gives him a puzzled look, making Klaus snicker more. He signs out that Al's behavior is suggestive. Gilbert's head snaps to the front of the room, eyes wide in wonder. Then his counterpart smacks his head to the desk and starts to shake. Unlike Klaus, Gilbert has to worry about making noise. He starts to shake harder, hitting his fist to his leg. The scene causes Klaus to laugh harder. He commits the image of his counterpart trying hard not to make noise to memory. He really wants the laughter though.
Gilbert is still shaking when the meeting is close to an end. As soon as it's called, he throws his head back, laughter pouring out of him. Klaus doubles over. He watches Gilbert's face for his amused expressions. Gilbert is so expressive with his facial features and it makes it so much easier for Klaus to tell how he's feeling. Gilbert's laughter starts to die down and they pack up their things together. On their walk back to the hotel his counterpart is talking fast about the meeting and what he's been up to since their last time seeing each other, mostly the pranks he's pulled on Ludwig. Gilbert pauses to watch Klaus sign out his words. It's another thing Klaus really loves about him. He always makes sure to let Klaus 'talk'.
After dinner with Gilbert and their brothers, Klaus locks himself in his side of the room. He shares a room with Lutz, but they have separate bed areas, which they're both grateful for. The hotel they're in is in America, as that's where the biggest gateway opens. Al loves to brag about how amazing his counterpart is, though Klaus knows they're only there because the land is secluded from normal humans. The hotel is big and very nice compared to the ones in Klaus's world though. Gilbert and his brother are across the hall, and many times, the talkative nation has barged into his room for a late night talk. Tonight, Gilbert is 'going straight to bed' according to Ludwig, even though Gilbert protested against the idea of his little brother telling him what to do.
Klaus is laying face down on the bed with his headphones in his ears. He buries his face deeper into his pillow when he picks out the recording he took earlier that day. Gilbert's laugh plays in his ears, the one he let out after having to hold it back. He goes through his secret hidden recordings of his counterpart speaking and laughing and making noises. It's his guilty pleasure. Klaus loves everything about his counterpart. What he loves most is Gilbert's voice, especially his laugh.
AN: Welp! Here it is! First chapter to 'Your Voice', the third in Infatuation. Hope you all like it~
Disclaimer: Hetalia ain't no belong to me
Cover photo is by scribblemynizzle on tumblr.