Hello everyone :) it's been a while since I last written anything due to my academics and long-term assignments, it's something that drains the joy out of writing and subsides creativity. I'm glad I found the inspiration to write again and to be honest, I miss my OTP of all time, GerIta 3 so here it is, my first chapter of this hetalia fanfic I recently started, I hope it will to your likening and that I will be able to pull it through. I proofreaded the chapter as much as I can so if you still find some grammatical mistakes please forgive me, English is not my native language.

Anime : Hetalia

Pairing : Ludwig x Feliciano

Point of View : First person narration

Rating : PG 13 at the moment ( no sexual context in this chapter)

Disclaimer : Hetalia and its original characters belong to their respective owner and they do not belong to me. I own nothing except the storyline of this fanfiction.

ENJOY AND PLEASE DONT FORGET TO TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK :)

CHAPTER ONE : ALL THAT'S LOST

FELICIANO POV :

Cold..it was unbearably cold.

Like poison, quiet and merciless, the cold seeped into my bones and I couldn't feel them. I felt the weight of the sky, collapsing and crushing down my unmoving body. I couldn't move a single muscle.

Ash, the taste of ash, of destruction shoved its way up my nostrils, down my throat, violent and uninvited. The smell tasted like despair, like death : Bitter, dark and vile.

Eyes, heavy as lead, could barely heed my command and open. Ears ringing, I could barely make out a sound. Expect for the rush of blood and monotonous crackling of fire, I was deaf.

I had never felt more tired in my life. Consciousness danced back and forth across the cliff of gentle, merciful oblivion and I wished for it to claim me, to ease out the pain of the daggers piercing through every pore of my flesh.

At last, my eyelids slowly parted and the world came into focus, however the moment it did, I wished for the mercy that was blindness, but it was too late.

Everything was gone.

Everyone was …. no more.

Snow was bathed in deep startling red, unforgiving fire continued to feast upon everything it could clutch. Fallen shadows scattered all over the ashen land like defeated pieces of chess over a tainted board : Motionless, still and... unbreathing.

I heaved and pain dug its claws deeper into my ribs.

Dead.

Everyone was dead. My family, my pack, the cubs...Everyone.

My vision grew blurry, the lines hazed. Salt invaded my muzzle and then I realized I was crying.

I waited… and waited for the kind hand of death to lay itself upon my heart, to silence its song. But, it never came.

Instead, the thundering of paws against earth tore through the cold silence, growing louder and… closer.

A shadow fell over my prone body. Heat tickled against the fur of my muzzle and then I felt it, a gentle nip.

Involuntarily, a meek whine escaped my mouth.

You will be alright, little one.

The voice said, then I remembered no more.

Soft, it felt soft and warm, just like a bed.

A bed ?

I opened my eyes. Dancing walls, pale ceiling, swaying curtains.

Where was I ?

I moved to support the weight of my upper body on my arms, in an attempt to sit up.

" Please, do not move."

I jerked my head in the direction of the softly spoken voice. My gaze met unblinking pools of fathomless black.

" Who are you ?" I asked.

" My name is Kiku." He quietly replied, drawing closer. Under the soft light of the chandelier, his features seemed almost ethereal; his face was clear and fine-boned, his frame slight, angular in edges. An image of a black sparrow crossed my mind. His scent traveled the air, teasing my nostrils. This man smelled like the night : clean, unassuming and tranquil.

It was then that it hit me, He didn't smell of wolf. His scent was nothing like I've smelled before, light and shy.

" You're.. not a wolf."

" I am not a wolf shifter." He confirmed. " I am a healer."

I glanced down at my bandaged arms.

" You were injured. Fortunately, no vital organs were damaged. However, you inhaled too much smoke which made you lose consciousness."

" Where am I ?"

" You're on White Hill Pack's territory. The Alpha has brought you here after what happened to your pack. I'm sorry but you were the only survivor found."

That brought all back to me, the snow, the fire, the blood, mother and.. the dead bodies.

I retched, struggling to hold the trembling of my body at bay. The black-haired stranger rushed to my side.

" Here, drink. It will help."

The liquid was warm and taste like grass. I gulped down the content of the cup and collapsed back into the bed. Shivers broke through my body, I couldn't stop shaking. The cold, it was crawling all over me again and I sobbed.

" It's okay, you are in shock. Rest and let your body heal. "

Let your body rest...

And what about the demons clawing against the walls of my mind ? Will they go to sleep too if I did ?

The sudden added weight of another blanket draping over me lessened the clattering of my teeth a bit. Next thing I knew, there was total blackness. In there I met them.. those shapeless grining monsters.

They were waiting and they knew...

They knew I had no where else to escape to.

When I woke up again, it was dark. Bright moonlight quietly slipping into the room. There was no sign of the healer. For a brief moment, I wondered if my mind has conjured the entire scene but when I glanced at the nightstand and the same cup I drunk from before was there, I realized it did not.

My body has stopped trembling but slight tremors still run through my limbs and I struggle to sit up. Standing proved to be even more difficult, but with the fifth try and with the assistance of the wall, I managed to stay upright.

The world swayed underneath my feet for a few moments but I held my balance. I glanced down at myself; I was nude except for the bandages around my chest and arms. I pulled a blanket from the bed and draped over my body.

I had no idea where to go but I headed for the door anyway. I turned the lock and peeked, my room was on the left side of a dark quiet hallway. No one was in sight so I pushed the door and slowly walked out.

A spiral of staircase led to the floor beneath so I followed. It took time but I finally made it. I looked around and it came to me that I was in some sort of a giant living room. Deep brown, red and traces of gold scattered across the room in form of antique furniture. Bookcases triple my height were plastered to the walls. The eerie dark silence and the huge intimidating room made my wolf uneasy.

The sound of footsteps stopping right behind me made me yelp. I lost my balance and almost fell down in a heap on the floor it wasn't for the fast arm that took hold of my waist.

" Hey, careful."

The voice was hoarse, deep and gentle. I looked up and eyes the color of ice met mine. Moonlight shone right through those orbs and I would've sworn they glowed. They held me captive and I couldn't look away if I tried. The owner of those unyielding pools of arctic blue stood almost two heads taller than me. Darkness and light played a dance over his strong chiseled jaws and sun-kissed hair, his impossibly broad shoulders blocked the view of anything else behind him.

His scent made me tremble. He smelled of rain, earth and something else I couldn't dare to name.

" I'm sorry." I didn't know what I was apologizing for but for some reason, I didn't want to displease him.

" For what ?" He asked. I dropped my gaze to his chest and shrugged, he smiled.

" Are you hungry ?" It was only then that I remembered I haven't eaten since yesterday.

Yesterday…

ash,

coldness,

and more ash.

Without any warning, tears started to stream down my face and I couldn't stop them. I pulled back from him, brought my trembling hands to my face, violently wiping the traces of my shame.

He cupped my face in his large calloused hands and stared right into my bloodshot eyes.

" There is no shame in grief. You've lost your entire pack, your family and you're more than entitled to scream and cry. So cry it out if you must."

I shook my head, escaping his hold but his gaze didn't waver.

I run to the window, hugging myself and resting my head against the cool glass. He didn't follow but I could see him clearly through the reflection.

"Physical wounds heal but those that we hide underneath take time, I know that but you will be alright."

Those words in that voice sounded so familiar and before I know it, I was staring into his eyes.

"It's you." His eyes glinted. "You are the one who found me."

He nodded.

I swallowed down the cry that threatened to rip through my throat.

" why ?" My voice didn't sound like my own. Shaky, small and too...weak.

He sighed.

" Why didn't you just leave me there ?" when he didn't answer, I dashed in his direction, screaming right into his face. " Why ?!"

He kept looking at me, his eyes softening and I wanted to punch the life out of him.

" Where will I go now ?! What do I have now ? I have nothing, NOTHING !" I shook all over and my teeth started to clatter again but I couldn't stop. "I-I shou—ld be dead, yo-u shoul-d've let me die !"

I banged his chest over and over with my fists until I had no more strength in me. Tears were beyond stoppable now and I slid down to the floor, holding my head in my hands, I rocked my naked body.

Faces of my mother, my father, and my packmates blurred and swirled before my eyes and I started to savagely scratch at my own neck and face. Blood broke through the skin and before I can do more damage, strong warm hands pulled mine away.

I struggled against his hold, writhing violently to get free but I was no match. Once I run out of energy, he grabbed me and hauled me right into his arms.

He held me tight, rested my head against his shoulder and buried his face in my hair.

" It's okay, you're going to be okay." He whispered and whispered, over and over again into my ear. His scent engulfed me and the weight crushing down my chest eased a bit. I hadn't stopped crying, but this time the tears were as tired as I was, quiet and unspoken.

Once I calmed, he gathered me closer to his chest and lifted me up. I was too weak to protest so I let him do what he wanted. He led me up the staircase, back to the room I was in. With his foot, he pushed open the door and strode closer to bed. He gently placed me on the mattress and left.

I let my head loll to the side and was about to close my eyes when he came back again. A little white box in his hand, he placed it on the nightstand and settled himself on the bed.

I looked at him, but didn't move a muscle. He cupped the back of my head with one hand, pushing gently to set up. He opened the box, brought out cotton pieces which he drenched in some colorless liquid and started to clean the scratches.

I knew the liquid should burn but I was numb, I felt nothing except for his breath against my skin.

His eyebrows were pinched in concentration, his whole focus on what he was doing and I couldn't look away from him.

" Who are you ?"

He paused, his gaze shifting to meet mine.

" Why go through all this trouble for a stranger ?" I persisted.

He shook his head and I could see his jaws tighten. He went back to his task, after deeming the scratches clean enough, he pulled out band-aids and carefully plastered them on my skin.

" I don't even know your name. " I whispered.

He put back the bottle, cotton and the rest of the band-aids into the box, closing it and placing it back on the nightstand. I expected him to leave but he didn't.

He carded a hand through his light blond hair and looked back at me." Ludwig."

I cocked my head and he broke his gaze.

" I was a guest on Antonio Carriedo's territory, your neighboring pack's Alpha. We were going for a run together that night when we smelled the smoke."

I bit down hard on my lip and stared down at my hand.

" We didn't know what was going on but we didn't want to wait for back-up so we run." He paused, his eyes far away. " By the time we got there, it was late. Rogue wolves destroyed everything. We tried to find as many survivors as we could but you were the only one left."

" My mother…" I could barely let the words out.

" I'm sorry." His blue eyes darkness, his fists clinched and he wouldn't meet my gaze.

I had no more tears to shed so I hugged myself and slipped under the blanket. Dark oblivion was all I wished for. Maybe when I wake up tomorrow, it will all be an ugly mess of a nightmare. Mother, father, my packmates...They will all be there and I will curse and laugh at myself.

Maybe.

Warm arms slid under the cover, drawing me close to a strong chest. Hot breath tingled against my earlobe and the next I know, he was holding me.

Only when his warm flesh met mine did I realize how cold I was, how fragile I felt. I wanted to sob until there were no more bones in me to rattle.

" It's okay. You are alive. That's the greatest gift of all." He kissed my head. "… and everything will be alright. You won't be alone, I promise you that."

I will be here for you.

Ah that voice.

It said and I believed it.

Thank you for reading :) I hope you enjoyed the first chapter, there is more to come in the story so plz review and tell what you think and if there is certain pairing you want to see besides Gerita.

see you next time !