A word from the Author...

So this is just a GermanyXOC one shot... I'm just taking a little break from my One Piece Fanfic, but I'll get started on that ASAP.

You see, I've also become quite fond of the Anime and online Manga series, Hetalia, and I just had to write something (...don't judge me). In truth, I haven't been able to write anything in months (MONTHS!) because of crazy schedules, writers block, school, writer's block, etc. This isn't really my best, and the ending is kinda blaahhh... but I needed to get it off my chest. So, if you want to write a review, please don't complain about it being 'another GermanyXReader fanfic,' please.

I know...

They're everywhere. XP

But, I digress...

If it's about anything else like my writing style or a reasonable critique, then that's fine, but any complaints will be frowned upon (you don't have to read it if it's gonna kill you, lol).

Hardcore One Piece fans, as promised the next chapter of Sand and Smoke will return soon (hopefully by the time school gets out for me)...
For now, please enjoy this scrap of work!

Curiosity Almost Killed the Cat...

I had been running for what seemed like hours. I was short of breath and my pulse was so high that my body could have been at risk of failing right then and there.

But, I didn't dare stop.

I wanted to make sure that I was a good couple of miles away from that raging German, Ludwig (and I thought he was the somewhat-calmer one).

Earlier, he and I had been peacefully conversing about the past events and history of Europe, when I asked him one innocent question. A question, which by some strange circumstance, sent him into a frenzy. Before I could back-peddle, I found myself retreating. As comical as it may sound, (maybe to you dear reader…) Ludwig was not at all pleased, our conversation ended quickly with him chasing me through the forest.

You see, before I got to where I am now, I had been granted two options: The first, being the obvious option of running, or the second- fight back.

Had I been a country, there'd have been a possibility that I would have stuck with option two. Who knows, maybe I'd have a chance. On the contrary, I'm not a country, I'm the worst possible creature that you could ever throw into the world of Hetalia: I'm a human.

That's right.

I'm a green-eyed, pale-skinned, brunette human (you'd think I'd be proud of myself…).

So, faced with the aforesaid options, I graciously chose the former hoping that I could outrun the German.

Now back to where I began:

Beads of sweat ran down my face as I furiously charged through the foliage. The sun was slowly setting on the horizon, and I could feel the temperature dropping. My sweat-soaked clothes stuck plastered to my skin, making the air seem even cooler. How long had I been running for? I was about to slow my pace earlier, but I had heard a horrifying scream not far behind, and refused to stop, lest I collapse from exhaustion. My eyes searched wearily for some form of shelter.

They rested on a small cabin that was becoming visible from behind a collection of vines and overgrown shrubs.

Just to make sure my eyes weren't deceiving me, I pinched my cheek; the little structure wasn't a mirage. By this point, I was shuffling to the door of the tiny abode. I knocked on the cedar entrance to see if there was anyone inside.

There was no response.

"Hello? Is anyone home?" I called in while pressing my ear against the door.

Again, no response.

I tried the handle, swung open the front door, and straggled in, shutting the door behind me. The muscles in my legs were beginning to give in to fatigue. I scanned the room to make sure that it was vacant.

Relieved to be alone, I slumped down onto a large plush sofa in the center of the room. The cushions were fluffy like clouds. I nuzzled my face into the soft fabric and immediately dozed off into a deep slumber.

All too soon my meditation was interrupted by a rapping at the door.

My body froze.

There were no windows anywhere in the two-room cabin, so I was unable to see who or what was knocking. That, however, didn't matter because the muffled voice that came from behind the door told me everything.

"Katarina!" The accented voice of Germany roared; there was something more terrifying about his tone than usual. "Open the door this instant! You have exactly three seconds to open up or else I'm breaking in, do you hear me? Ein…!"

As he began counting off in his native tongue, I frantically swung my legs over the side of the sofa and onto the wooden floor landing with a loud CLUNK. Still weak from running, I stumbled to the ground.

"Zwei…!"

On my hands and knees, I scrambled over into the second room of the cabin, which, judging from the furniture, must have served as a bedroom. I swiftly and silently shut the door behind me just as the final number was called.

"DREI!"

He made head-on contact with the entry. A blitz of loud THUDS and crashes bombarded the first entrance of the little hut.

I crawled over to a sheltered corner in the bedroom while trembling at each loud SLAM.

How did he find me?

A loud CRACK followed by the splintering of lumber signaled that he had breached the front door. He burst through and the sound of heavy boots staggered in, I could just barely see them flickering through the crevice of the bedroom door.

Sweat dripped down my forehead, I was suppressing a cry.

More clunking and some rustling.

'He must be turning everything over.'

This lasted for all of two minutes, then, all at once, the boots stopped at the second door.

'Does he know I'm here?'

I stopped breathing.

My eyes were sealed shut and my hand was clamped over my lips.

'Please. Please please please just go away…' I thought to myself.

WHAM!

Another slamming-sound penetrated my ears.

In one single hit, the door came crashing down (the front door must have been made of a tougher material). I opened my eyes.

There, in the shattered door frame, stood the shadowy shape of Ludwig. A tiny yelp escaped my throat, in which I shrank further against the wall, more frightened than ever.

I slapped my hand back over my mouth.

The man that entered looked like Ludwig and yet, as my eyes adjusted to the dimly lit room, I noticed a few things that seemed out of place:

He had a multitude of scars running up and down his right arm and a hideous gash along his cheek. He donned a different uniform, too, as opposed to what he was wearing earlier while he was chasing me. Instead of his typical green military uniform, he sported a beige sleeveless undershirt and draped a long black trench coat over his shoulders. Over his legs were black baggy pants that were tucked into dark brown combat boots.

A dark atmosphere settled as he stepped into the room, his aura was menacing and cold. I had to keep myself from looking into those purple eyes whose gaze could make even the strongest of men break down in terror.

Adjusting the black military cap on his head, he surveyed the room.

'Maybe he hasn't spotted me yet...' I tried reassuring myself.

Wrong answer.

The man turned his head and I got a good glimpse of the rest of his facial features. His once sapphire irises were now that cloudy ominous blue that seemed to give off a violet glow in the dull light. The gash on his cheek just graced the terrifying grimace that he wore.

Squinting at me though the darkness, he mumbled something in German that I didn't quite catch. Regardless of what he had said, it didn't sound pleasant.

That's when I noticed the stream of blood trickling down his arm.

"Oh, Mr. Germany," I bolted up without thinking and ran to the figure, "you're hurt!"

It's a bad idea to jump the gun with a cause based on tiny lingering notions of fact.

The palm of his hand connected with my jaw bone emitting a sickening CRACK of both breaking bone and the harsh SLAP of flesh on flesh. The strength of the blow had sent me stumbling backwards into a wooden cabinet. Items fell, glass shattered, and I felt the warm liquid beginning to drip from my own body, from the nose, and the corners of my lips. I'd bitten my tongue upon impact and tasted the bitter flavor of salt and vinegar. My ears were ringing as the room started to spin.

"My, that looked painful…" The attacker smirked with a twisted grin.

"W-Where's Ludwig…?" I sputtered out blood while trying to get back on my feet. "Who the hell are you?"

"What are you talking about, Frau?" Dark-blue orbs flickered in sheer sadistic delight. "I'm standing right in front of you."

My bewildered eyes widened. "That can't be right… You're not…"

He snatched a pistol from the hilt attached to his belt and spoke firmly, the weapon was pointed in my direction. "Not to change the subject or anything, but I thought you should know that you really pissed me off back there."

The imposter must have been referring to the conversation I had had with the real Germany prior to this event.

Or at least, I had assumed he was the real Germany, and yet…

"How did you know about that?" I searched for a spark of courage in an attempt to suppress my shock.

"You really don't believe that I'm him, do you?" He sneered.

"No. It's not possible, sir." I shakily remarked.

That insane smile stretched across his lips yet again while he lumbered over to where I knelt. Crouching beside me, he seized a fist-full of my hair and dragged me up to his eye level. I instinctively clung to his strong arm that held me firmly in place.

"You see this?" His gloved hand pointed to the blood on his arm. "This isn't my blood."

"And you want me to care wh-…!" I stopped and let out a strained gasp. My body felt numb, yet I started kicking and scratching at the man.

"You didn't. You're insane." To no evade would the man's arm budge as I struggled. "Where is he? "What did you do to Mr. Germany?"

"What did I do to Mr. Germany?" He chuckled as he mocked me. "Foolish girl, I didn't do anything. You're the one who released me."

"Liar!" I croaked in disbelief.

"It appears that the pot is calling the kettle black." He threw me to the ground. "Let me correct myself: You helped release me."

I lay face planted on the floor as he continued, "Like I said, you made me angry, or, if I may, you angered my counterpart. And when you did, the fool let his anger take root and get the better of him."

'I…released him?'

My mind wandered back to when I was moving through the woods, when I heard this strained scream not far away. The more I recollected, the more I recognized the voice that produced the bellow. It was Germany's.

"Then," I wasn't sure of what I was saying, "that means you're like a manifestation of his inner-rage?"

"…Or a doppelgänger of his past." The twin shrugged. "Depends on what you want to believe."

"I don't want to believe any of it."

"I figured as much." He rose back up to his full height.

I glowered up at him. "You're a monster."

The doppelgänger rolled his eyes. "Again with the sharp tongue? Be a good little dog and submit to me."

With great force he kicked underneath me and rolled me over on my back. Then he bent down, took me by my shirt collar, and lifted me high above his head.

"Listen closely, if you think this tough act is going to get you anywhere then you might as well start digging your grave. Nobody's coming to save you, and there's no way you can best me. You're mine, now, and I'd hate to have to lose you to an…unfortunate accident." There was an evil glint in his eye. "After all, I'm still Germany; I still have the same feelings for you, Katarina…I love you."

'Lies…'

"And if you behave, I won't be forced to harm you…"

'More lies…'

I turned my head away. Dark-Ludwig frowned as he holstered his hand gun, and then proceeded to push back a few blonde strands that had fallen over his face.

He slowly set me down and held me before him. A flicker of danger lingered in his expression. The snake put on an unfamiliar, yet charming grin. I felt his arms slither and wrap around my waist in an inescapable embrace. I was hit by his sweet scent when my cheek touched his breast. I felt small, but warm, and somewhat protected…though only for a moment.

"Please," I quietly begged while my body shivered violently in fear. "Don't do this, Mr. Germany. You're hurting me."

He pretended to pout with a mimicking tone, "You mean to say that you don't like how I've changed?"

I whimpered seeing that my vocal chords were finished for the time being. Talking wouldn't be of much use anymore, anyway. Instead, I took another approach. My heel came down on his boot with all the force I could manage and I broke out of his grasp. Again, he proved to be more powerful than I, and snatched my wrist. He hadn't grunted nor shown the slightest bit of pain. However, his face now displayed a hideously high level of rage. I was spun back into his body and was held in a not-so-loving headlock. He hissed furiously in my ear, "I could always snap this delicate neck of yours, if you truly have a death-wish."

That was it. I knew there was nothing else that I could do beyond that point. His nature was completely unstable, which, being paired with his physique, made him fatal.

I let out a sigh of grief and hesitantly relaxed my muscles to which he responded with a satisfied smirk. "Not bad."

Again he held me close and rested his chin atop my head. "Don't worry about it anymore, Frau, I always keep my promises."

A fire burned in my mind as I stared dully into his uniform.

"And…Cut!" My head whipped around to see where the other accented voice was coming from. "C'est magnifique! You two are naturals!"

"Huh?" I cocked my head to the side as France emerged from behind a bookshelf.

He continued to gush, "Wonderful! The passion! The emotion! I was overwhelmed by it all!"

The Frenchman leapt around the room singing and rambling on. I noticed that Russia, too, had accompanied France and also emerged holding a camcorder. He dusted himself off.

"Good job, Katarina." I snapped my head to look back up at the German whose face was back to its usual serious expression.

"Ludwig…?" I stuttered, "What…?"

"Hey, Germany! Be careful next time!" France suddenly put a hand on his hip and wagged a pen in our direction. "Lighten up on the violence, I thought you were going to break Katarina's fragile little figure. I know this is method acting, but you're not supposed to actually damage her."

"Ja, sorry…" he scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "I guess I got carried away."

"I don't know," The Russian smiled innocently and giggled, "I really enjoyed the violent parts; I kind of wish that France had casted me in that role instead of Germany."

I gulped.

France took note of this and gave Russia an uneasy look. "No offense Russia, but I don't think Ms. Katarina would ever be able to function ever again if I had."

I touched the tender bruises on my jaw and neck. "This was… all just an act?"

All three countries directed their attention to me, but my gaze remained locked onto one particular spot on the floor.

"Katarina…" I had just realized that Ludwig was still holding me. "I really am sorry, I didn't-"

"You what?" I regained my voice. "You didn't mean it? You didn't think I'd care or even react?"

"No! I-" Germany tried to get a word in, but I wouldn't have it.

"Am I that great a fool to you? What, did you think that you could just take advantage of me like that and I'd just laugh it off?"

"Now, now, Katarina, listen…" France intervened about to explain everything, but I was already out the door. As before, I was running away through the woods. I had only gone about twenty yards into the forest when my knees buckled and I fell down sobbing under the branches of an old oak tree. In the distance, I heard the voices of Russia and France calling my name. I curled up in a ball in the dirt and tucked my head between my legs. That's when I heard him.

"Katarina?"

Two solid hands rested on my shoulders making me nearly jump out of my skin. I turned to find Ludwig placing his coat over me. I looked back to the ground.

"Katarina, please look at me." He knelt beside me.

I looked over my shoulder in the opposite direction, too tired to argue.

He let out a long exhale. "I've no excuse for what happened back there. I didn't mean to hurt you as I did..."

I shrugged, keeping my eyes from meeting his. Before he continued I felt his hand slide underneath my chin and gently raise it. From his pocket he pulled out a tan handkerchief and wiped away the drying blood on my face.

"I realize that my actions have likely caused you to lose trust in me. It's natural that you're confused, and I don't blame you if you never want to talk to me again." His voice sounded flustered all of a sudden. "But I want you to know…"

I felt those familiar muscular arms wrap around me and pull me into him. I blushed profusely and tried to squirm. "Ah-…?"

"I promise I'll never hurt you again because I love you so much. If anything were to happen to you, let alone by my own hands, I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

My expression softened. "Ludwig…"

"Yes?"

A playful smile crept across my lips. "See now, that would've been pretty easy to believe if you weren't still dressed in that silly costume."

He was taken by surprise. "Wha…?"

"Just teasing." I giggled.

Self-consciously wiping away the fake wound on his cheek, Germany laughed. "Right."

We remained there, huddled in the stillness of the moonlight. I followed the constellations, counted the stars, and spotted a few planets above, although, something was still eating at my emotions.

"Mr. Germany…" I whispered. "I'm sorry about our conversation earlier… I didn't mean to pry into your past history."

The country sighed. "Just forget about it. You didn't know any better."

He noticed my head drop down slightly in dismay, and thus quickly added, "Besides, that was decades ago."

"I know…It's just…What I'm trying to say is…"

He finished my sentence. "You were curious."

My face turned a rosy-pink. "Yeah…"

"I don't see anything wrong with that."

"I suppose so…" My voice trailed.

"Come on, let's go back to the others, and let them know that you're alright." He stood and brought me up with him. "Then after we can go back to my place and get you patched up. How does that sound?"

I nodded thoughtfully.

"Alright, very good." He took my hand in his and we walked back to the cabin.

Questions still flooded my mind, but I dismissed them.

I had had enough mischief for one day.