Hello all! I wrote this last year, after Germany won the World Cup! Cute little brotherly love ficlet. Enjoy!
Comments are nice!
Some people assumed he wouldn't come. After all, he hadn't been to any game before this. In fact, he hadn't even shown up in 1990 for the game identical in every detail to this. So naturally, as people do, they assumed he was too ill or perhaps even that he had finally died with the fall of the wall.
But all of of Germany had been unified for more the twenty years.
And Prussia was stronger then ever.
When the Prussian stepped on to the pitch, wearing the white jersey along with his brother, there was a collective gasp from everyone in the stands. At least those who had doubted he still existed. But more then anything, they all gave him the attention that Prussia thrived on.
Gilbert waved at everyone, smiling and jumping up and down in excitement with the team. Since he wasn't actually playing, more of a team cheerleader, he pulled out his phone from his pocket and jumped onto to Ludwig's back. He snapped a quick selfie, to be sent to his Canadian Birdie in the stands and then laughed.
"Ksesesese, bruder! You better win this one! I'm here watching this time, don't turn ze Awesome Me into your bad luck charm! I'm way too awesome for that!" He exclaimed, clapping Ludwig on the back roughly. The very serious German was already focused and in the zone, he gave his brother a single, curt nod, before running off to stretch with the team.
After both teams national anthems were played, there was another, smaller gasp as Gilbert went to take his place beside the German coach to watch the game. The coach gave him a curt nod very similar to his brothers and Gilbert couldn't help but to laugh hard.
"Why are you German's all so serious? You should really lighten up, like ze Awesome Me! It's just a game right?" Gilbert smiled. He earned a glaring look from the coach which he shrugged off and pulled out his phone to snap another selfie.
However, when the game reached overtime, with one goal scored, Gilbert was on the edge of his seat, looking worried. His face mirrored that of his brother when he game over during a time out for water.
Gilbert knew better then to approach his brother at that moment, he was planning—thinking of game winning battle strategies—but he gave him a big smile and a thumbs up.
"Good luck, mien awesome little bruder." He whispered more to himself then to Ludwig. Although, Ludwig—and it could have been Gilbert's imagination—did turn and give him another, now famous curt nod in acknowledgment.
The game restarted and by the end of the first fifteen minutes, everyone was certain it was going to penalty kicks. The coach cursed, Gilbert cursed, the benched players cursed. Penalty kicks was not the best way to end a World Cup. That needed to be avoided at all cost.
Then, just as the game was nearing it's end, out of no where, they scored. At first, Gilbert was shocked and thought he had seen wrong. He waited for the referee to snatch away that goal, like had been done in regulation time.
But no call came. Gilbert had seen right. They had scored a goal.
Germany was going to win. Gilbert was going to get to see his little brother shine on the world stage. The moment he had missed all those years ago.
The rest of the game, all five minutes or so, were a blur. Gilbert didn't hear the final whistle or feel the benched players rush past him in pure exhilaration. He knew his brother came over, smiling and acting more like Italy then himself. That was fuzzy and hazy to the Prussian, like he was dreaming it.
In fact, Gilbert didn't fully regain his sense's until he was up on the podium, with the entire German team. His brother was standing right beside him and was trying to pass the World Cup to him. Ludwig laughed and waved his hand in front of him.
"Oi, dummkopf! It's your turn to hoist the Cup." he said, pushing it into Gilbert's hands. That seem to instantly wake him up to reality and he blinked, wide eyed.
"Me? You want me to do it too? But, Bruder—I didn't even play. I'm not even a Ger-"
The cup was pressed more firmly into his hands. Ludwig gave him a warm smile now.
"You are a German, ja?" He asked, as the players behind him nodded and smiled. After seeing that, Gilbert wasted no time, his carefree awesome attitude returned in a snap and grasped the Cup tight.
"Hell ja! I am ze Awesome PRUSSIA!" He cried out to the crowd.
When he lifted the Cup into the air, all the people who had been shocked at the beginning, let out a loud scream of approval, yelling and clapping for Germany.
And Prussia.