Author's Note: There is mention of abuse.
It was raining hard that cold November Night, ice mixing in with the bitter cold rain. Two weeks had passed since the opening of borders between East and West, and having waited every day to see the person he hoped to see most, he needed a break. He had finally consigned himself that perhaps Prussia was still in the clutches of the Russian, in spite of the people's new found freedom. Ludwig had just settled in to read, when a knock came on the door. It was already nine pm and he wasn't expecting any visitors. But he wouldn't let anyone wait out in that weather.
"Coming!" He called out, taking his reading glasses off and walking carefully down the stairs. He always kept this home so Prussia would know where to go.
When he opened the door, he was absolutely shocked. She was dressed in the uniform of an East German soldier with her hand rubbing the back of her neck. "Hey West, I was wondering if I could stay with you awhile." The uniform cap obfuscated her features as she spoke softly, a small suitcase sitting at her feet.
"Preussen!" He exclaimed picking her up, excitedly. He was so happy to see his sister helping her into the house, setting her down to remove her cap. He stopped. Her already short hair was shorter than he remembered and a deep purple bruise surrounded her left eye. "Bruder…" It was a habit. A woman couldn't be a powerful empire. At least that's what all the male nations always said. And since she was a knight, she had to be male, right? Almost eight centuries Maria went by the name Gilbert as a shield hiding that she was a female. Only two people knew besides her little brother, her best friends- France and Spain and they kept the secret locked up tighter than a virgin in Vegas.
"Ja, West?" She hadn't realized how bad the last bruise that Russia would ever give her looked in the light. She noticed the way he looked at her. She had been trying so hard to be her old self. Her light demeanor that was always a mask she used to hide the pain as she pushed the other nations away. Her deep red eyes looked down. "Don't worry, Bruderlein. I will be okay."
He looked at his sister. "I readied your room for you as soon as they opened the borders. You're Welcome to stay as long as you want."
"Danke sehr, Ludwig. Do you have anything to eat and a beer?"
He nodded, some things didn't change. "There is wurst in the fridge and bier in the basement." He paused a moment. "Gil… Maria… are you okay? If he did this…"
"You'll do nothing about it. I fell on the way over here." She didn't want to admit that she had been dragged through hell, she didn't want her little brother, who always looked up to her, to know how badly she had fallen.
"I'm going to eat and then go to bed. It's been a very long day. You go to bed, Bruder. I will be fine."