SOY: this one–shot has been written for the Secret Santa GerIta exchange on the LJ, the recipient's name is extremlygirly. The prompts required were of Germany bringing Italy to his Christmas Markets, and of Prussia getting the two under a mistletoe.
Human nations were requested for this. Please, enjoy, and merry Christmas!
To any Naruto fan reading this, the new chapter of CV will be delivered soon. ^^
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Rating: K+
Warnings: fluff. Gilbert.
Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia. But I love working through fanfics of it.
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Market
One–shot
"Germany~ come on, hurry up~"
Italy ran down the street, arms spread wide and a huge smile on his face, and spun around, making small, pleased sounds every time he turned towards his companion.
Germany was following at a more sedated pace, cheeks flushed in embarrassment as he watched his friend spin, his brows twitching all the while. "It– I mean, Feliciano!" he yelled, in that authoritative voice that he'd so often used during both wars. "Don't use that name in public!"
Italy stopped spinning and moved closer to the other Nation, clutching his arm with a soft 've', nodding and trying to make him move faster. "Sì, Ludwig~ but hurry up!"
Grumbling under his breath and pulling closer his coat with his free hand, Ludwig allowed Feliciano to pull him down the street, barely paying any attention to the incessant babbling coming towards him, instead more than a bit aware of the warmth seeping in from their joined arms.
He had to remember, just like he'd said to Italy, that for today, they were not Nations. They were just… themselves. It was harder to remind it to himself, though.
The previous day, in a desperate attempt to stop the Italian from messing around with his kitchen for pasta again, Ludwig had promised him a guided tour at his major Christmas markets, which blossomed through Germany from November like flowers in spring; Feliciano had been… overjoyed, of course –Germany's markets were famous all around the world, after all– but had Ludwig known this would be the result…
"Ah, look~" Italy pointed to the road ahead of them, brightened up by small intermittent lights rolling down from the walls of the houses, and even on the streetlamps, dangling in the cold air of the late afternoon and sending flickers of colours everywhere around. "It's so beautiful…"
Ludwig flushed, looking away; he had been lying. He knew that a visit through some of the best Christkindlmärkte would make Feliciano as happy as he possibly could be, and that was exactly why he'd done that.
In the last few years (make it three decades) they had never managed to find enough time to spend more than a few tense, brief moments with each other, other than meeting at the World or UE conferences, and Ludwig had come to miss the easy–going, exuberant presence of the Italian.
It felt comfortable, and it didn't feel like back then, during the war –Feliciano was easy to get along with, when he was not pressured by having to battle.
Above their heads, complicate wires formed beautiful ensembles of stars, Christmas trees and golden strings flowing like delicate showers of water; Ludwig breathed in deeply, the cold but pure air filling his lungs, and something close to contentment filling his chest.
Feliciano was looking around in rapture, pointing at the German everything that caught his attention, from the lights to the beautifully assembled windows, where the shops still open offered a gorgeous show.
This felt…
This felt right.
Ludwig allowed his companion to pull him towards one of the bigger windows, in which the owners had prepared the entire nativity scene, with small statuettes clearly hand–carved in wood, lacquered with gentle strokes of colour. The Family was of course a beautiful sight, with the Baby's small, accurately carved face looking towards the Virgin Mary.
"Uwa~ look at the details…" Feliciano nudged closer to the window, almost touching its surface with his nose, eyes wide open in admiration. "I really like the angel~"
Lifting his eyes from the small Baby, Ludwig nodded towards the imposing yet gentle figure of the angel; the face was lowered, the eyes close, and he was holding a long scroll in his hands, which had Latin on it.
The wings were made with something fluffy and white, probably a mix of wool and cotton.
"Ah~ Ge–Ludwig! The windows are all decorated!"
Whilst Ludwig had been busy admiring the carved figurines, Feliciano had detached himself from his arm, bouncing away and staring back up at the windows, which were decorated with lights and delicate ornaments, and even the glass had crystals and snowflakes on them, in fake snow and silver paint.
Shaking his head in amusement, and yet feeling the loss of the warmth, Ludwig followed Feliciano down the main street, every now in a while stopping to admire a particularly eye–catching window, allowing a small smile to flicker on his lips.
Indeed, he didn't regret inviting the Italian fool over. His markets were spectacular, and he was quite proud of them, and being able to spend time together with…
"Feliciano, don't run around in the crowd!"
A blink later, the jolly Italian was already back at his side, as if he'd never been gone in the first place, and much to his surprise, Feliciano was holding two cups of a dense, scalding hot liquid.
"Ve~ this is for you, Ludwig~ it's tasty!"
The first sip confirmed to the blond that it was Glühwein, another beverage Germany was quite partial to, so he carefully drank some more, rejoicing the hot, alcoholic taste.
The weight at his arm, which made it hard to sip the drink, warned Ludwig that Feliciano wasn't keen on letting him go. Ludwig, not sure whether to consider this bad or not, simply sighed and looked around.
The Straße was quite large, decorated with some small Christmas trees, each one of them with different decorations –from bows of various colours to intermittent lights to ice cones and snowflakes in wool and fabric, and the stands in clear wood were all lit up, chasing away the shadows of the night.
Sipping again his Glühwein, Germany allowed the warmth of Italy's body against him to seep in, eyes wandering to the beautiful houses around him, whose architecture attracted tourists all over the year.
"Say, Ludwig, what's the name of this town again? It's so beautiful…" it was clear, by the way his fingers were twitching against his arm, that Feliciano wanted to draw the sight, and the German suppressed a smile at the thought that despite the years apart, he could still read the Italian quite easily.
"I brought you to one of the most famous markets in Germany –Reiterlesmarkt" peering to the side, Ludwig felt his cheeks burn slightly as Feliciano didn't look away from him, ears perking up as he listened on. "this city is called Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a medieval city" he pointed to the architecture of the houses around them, even though Feliciano's eyes didn't leave his face. A bit flustered, he found himself continuing "we're in Upper Baviera, on the Romantic Road".
One hand softly pressed against his chest, followed by a small smile. "Romantic Road, Ludwig?"
Coughing in embarrassment, Ludwig drank down the rest of his drink and moved onwards, aware of Feliciano's eyes following him.
"You like tree ornaments, do you, It–Feliciano?" much to his chagrin, he found slipping on the Nation's name, and berated himself for the loss of control. Pointing at a stand, he watched the Italian shift towards it.
"Sì! Molto!" with hands carefully caressing a particularly entrancing glass ball covered with glittery silver powder, Feliciano finally looked away from him, devoting himself in a long conversation with the owner of the stand regarding the decoration he was holding. Ludwig let out a relieved sigh, unsettled by the intense stare he'd been subjected to, and tried to chase his flush away –there was nothing to be blushing about, especially with Feliciano…
"Ve~!"
Ludwig blinked, finding the ball Feliciano had been holding almost pressed against his face, and stepped backwards, the flush returning on his cheeks.
"You bought it?"
The ball was unmoving, and Feliciano nudged at Ludwig's side, saying nothing.
"… for me?" the German ventured.
At the happy nod, Ludwig couldn't do anything but grab the fragile looking ball into his hands and nod at the other, who smiled happily and grabbed his arm again.
"Ve~ it's really beautiful!" both looked down at the ball of glass; the lights coming from the stand were glittering on its surface, uncovering the pattern of a tree, and it did look quite fascinating.
Ludwig felt a small smile appear on his cheeks as he turned his attention on the happy hums the other was making. Feeling the eyes on him, Feliciano looked up, his smile widening, just enough to warm the Poles.
"Feliciano, look… over there, they're selling small figurines" trying to hide his sudden flush, Ludwig pointed to a nearby stand, and Feliciano leaned over, cooing on the small, hand–made statuettes with cheeks flushed from the cold.
"Ah~ I am going to buy some of these, too~"
"Feliciano, stop wasting your money on everything–"
"But why~? Brother would be really happy!"
"… I'm not so sure…" Ludwig scratched the back of his head, picturing Lovino's face when presented with things coming from Germany, and winced, his resolve to steer away from the older Italian for at least a bit more.
Leaving Feliciano at the stand, he moved a bit to the side, observing his people and their stands; being one of the fans of hand–made things, he stopped at one stand that was selling wooden–made animals and other things, admiring a few reindeers with expert eye.
He quite missed being able to work on some wood himself –the last time he made something himself, it was during WWI, when he had to build cuckoo clocks…
Looking back up to check on Feliciano, Ludwig found him watching wide–eyed at one of the puppet shows that were one of the various attractions of Rothenburg, together with a crowd of younger kids and their parents.
Shaking his head in amusement, Ludwig walked to the next stand, rubbing his hands together; it was cold, and despite his gloves, his fingers were still freezing.
The woman attending at the stand was old, and she was proudly exhibiting hand–made mittens, socks, scarves and hats, colourful and clearly resistant; looking back at the laughing Italian, Ludwig noted the lack of a hat and scarf, and turned towards the woman again.
"I want to buy these" he pointed at a blue scarf, cheeks flushing as he pictured his friend wearing it. "And a hat, too…"
The woman smiled kindly at him, humming and picking up one hat in her wrinkled hands. "What about this one?" she murmured, her voice deep and warm. Much to Ludwig's embarrassment, the hat had a pair of reindeer horns on it.
"N–nein, danke" he muttered, shaking his head. "I think it would be best if–"
"Ludwig~"
In a haste, feeling more than seeing Feliciano bounce towards him, he grabbed the hat and scarf and hid them under his coat, hurriedly pushing the amount of money towards the now smiling woman and retreating from the stand.
"Ve~ what were you doing?" once again latched at his arm, Feliciano purred and clung closer, and Ludwig coughed in uneasiness, flushing and fidgeting. "Let's go, let's go! They're offering a tour around the walls!"
Ludwig let out a shaky sigh, then followed.
…………………
Gilbert was bored.
He'd been walking around Christmas markets for the last few weeks, messing around and laughing his ass off at the most useless things, and petting the small bird that was still residing on top of his head, but there was a limit to how much amusement one could get without trying something different.
Especially if that someone was the awesome him.
After a while, he'd decided to follow his brother's date with sweet Ita, just to waste away the hours before dinner at Francis', but the lovey–dovey atmosphere around the two was just sickening, and it felt almost a bad joke that no progresses had been made between them despite that.
They were holding hands, damn it! And they could barely keep away from each other…
What was wrong with West? He should have already jumped the Italian but no –oh, no, Ludwig was probably as shy as a virgin.
Which he probably was, Gilbert didn't really want to know that about his bruder.
About Feli, well, that was different, but he was off–limits, so Gilbert couldn't even fantasize. Bummer.
As it was, after something like ten cups of Glühwein, and four of apfelwein, Gilbert was trying to find something amusing to do.
Something like pouring hot beverages on some mean customer's head.
Something like poking fun at his bruder, maybe…
Or even better –he could help them out. Old Fritz knew how those two needed it.
"Right! The awesome me, all alone –of course, in a good way– will bring the lovebirds together! And then crash into Francis' cellar! Gut!"
There was a short pause, in which he wobbled, trying to straighten up, the little bird chirping and fluttering away from his hair.
"Hmmm. Now, where to find… some… uh… mistletoe?"
Gilbert looked around. He was standing close to the beverage stand, ready to go buy another glass of the hot brew the moment he started feeling the less–than–awesome cold seep in, but he ventured away from it, bravely withstanding the shivers running down his frame –he wasn't wearing a scarf, he was far too awesome for that– all the while thinking just how good he was, trying to help his deranged brother finally get laid.
Or find love. Whatever one came first.
Trying to get mistletoe proved at first an unsuccessful task, because of all the stands grouped together in a circle, none of them was selling it.
He got another two glasses of wein though, and a delicious cookie he shared with his little bird, but no mistletoe.
He was this close to cutting green and red paper and make his own home–made mistletoe when he noticed a smaller stand selling garlands just a few feet away. There, shining and bright, was his mistletoe.
Unfortunately, it was quite expensive… after all the alcohol he'd drank, what he had was enough for either five more cups of Glühwein (which would keep him warm and in a happy state of stupor in which he could revel being alone, like every year) or buy the garland only to keep the mistletoe part, then grovel until it was time to go at Francis'.
"…" Gilbert scratched his head, split in two.
With the corner of his eye, he noticed his brother and cute Feli walk out from the walls of the town, as close as decency allowed, and groaned.
"Damn you, bruder…" but there was a clear fondness in his voice. Turning towards the man at the stand, he straightened up, smirking. "You! I want this!"
…………………
The guide waiting at the front main entrance was holding a huge torch in her hands, and was quite cute, so Ludwig was almost expecting his companion to bounce towards her to flirt; instead, to his surprise, Feliciano clung tighter at his arm, fingers intertwining with his own, and when the group moved onwards, following the guide and away from the lights of the market, suddenly falling in a deep silence, Ludwig found out he didn't mind it.
At their right, the walls were high and disappeared in the dark, only to pop back into existence thanks to the torches hung on their top, the fire shivering and dancing into the cold breeze.
Looking behind, where the main entrance gate was, Ludwig felt intensely disconnected, as if by leaving the lights and walking into the dark, he'd overstepped something unreal…
"Ve~" with a soft sound, Feliciano tightened his grip on Ludwig's hand.
The presence of the Italian holding onto his arm felt suddenly like the only other real, consistent thing, no matter if there were others somewhere around him, following the guide.
It didn't matter if the woman guiding them was waving the torch in her hand, like a floating flame in the darkness, and if the cold was still curling around him, and if the walls were so beautiful, with the vague lights lightening them up…
It felt as if he was walking alone with Feliciano, warmth radiating from him, and it felt definitely good.
Ludwig relaxed a bit more, conscious that he was still holding hands with the other and strangely unwilling to let go.
As the tour continued the walk, he found his attention wavering from the beautiful sight to that of the Italian at his side, who was humming and looking around, fascinated.
To be able to spend a day with him…
Something white shifted at the corner of his vision, up the wall, and he stopped; then, a small black shape flew past his head from above, down into some bushes to the side, and he tensed up, eyes darting around. His hand unconsciously tightened his hold around Feliciano's, who stopped walking and turned towards him, blinking in surprise. "Ve? Is there something wrong, Ludwig?"
"Uh, no, I was just…" turning again, he saw nothing. Choking on his own breath, the German looked to the side, trying to appear fascinated by the wall's cracks, suddenly feeling stupid. "I'm happy we could spend some time together, that's all" he murmured after a moment.
Italy blinked in surprise, then smiled brightly. "I'm happy too~ being with Germany… I mean, being with Ludwig always makes me the happiest!"
Cheeks turning far too red for it to be a coincidence, Ludwig rummaged inside his coat; he was still terribly put off by Feliciano's way of saying things, and he could clearly see he meant it.
But he was happy to be with him, too… even if as a nation and as a person Feliciano was often too bouncy, hyper and loud, there was no one else Ludwig could find himself enjoying time alone other than him.
After all, Feliciano was…
"This is for you" he handed the brunet the newly bought scarf and hat, flushing even more darkly by the sparkle of sheer happiness passing through the other's eyes. "I thought you'd be cold" he muttered, wanting to sound practical but failing badly.
"Ve~" cheeks also flushed, Feliciano wrapped the scarf around his neck and put up the hat, looking less stupid and far cuter than Ludwig had expected him to. "Do I look good~ do I do I?"
"O–of course! Now hurry up, will you? We're getting left behind" voice rough and clearly leaking embarrassment, Ludwig pulled a giggling Italian onwards, rejoining with the rest of the group for the last part of the walk.
Until the promenade around the wall was completed, Ludwig held Feliciano's hand in his own.
…………………
Cursing the loss of his mistletoe, unluckily lost whilst he was trying to climb on the wall, Gilbert let out a pathetic sigh –of course he wouldn't give up, but damn…
Ok, maybe climbing in the dark and cold wasn't a good idea, especially since he'd taken far too much time, and he was already tired and wheezing after running to the other end of the wall, following the group walking on the outside.
Also, his nose itching whilst climbing hadn't been good either.
Nor had the slippery and icy cold stones, full of snow and ice.
He couldn't but watch the mistletoe (weighted down by a rock, so it would dangle better) falling down, passing really close to Ludwig's head, and into the dark. He had to duck away, hiding, as he felt his brother's eye search the sky, suddenly alert.
Thankfully, Feli said something, attracting his bruder's attention away, and Gilbert slithered down a bit, using the shape of a tree to hide himself.
Waiting for the two lovebirds to move on, he slumped down, quickly returning to ground level, his little feathered friend following down; popping a few joints back where they belonged, the Prussian moved to the bushes, rustling around for the missing damn mistletoe.
He found it, but not before cutting his finger with something inside the bush, which caused a long, heartfelt series of curses that would have made a drunken Arthur pale.
"Watch me West! I'm doing this for you!" he half–yelled, half–mumbled to the sky, a lone tear pooling in his eye. "And for sweet Feli, of course" he added as an afterthought, lips twitching upwards.
With that, and the mistletoe precariously clutched in his bruised hand, Gilbert stood up and walked towards the entrance gates, already checking for a spot where to climb upwards again.
…………………
Falling back into the lively market made for a small shock, and the German moved to the side to avoid a small group of tourists, leaning against the wall to observe the crowd, suddenly missing the silence and the comforting sense of intimacy.
Feliciano, almost gingerly, moved away from his side, attracted once again by the lights and the noise, and fluttered to the nearest stand, filled with foods. Ludwig watched him with fondness.
In the middle of the marketplace there was some sort of commotion, and not even seconds later, the blond realised what was going on –the chorus of the town was preparing to sing, everybody dressed in snugly, crimson and warm clothes with green scarves around their necks. He pressed his back more comfortably against the wall, prepared to enjoy the show.
"Herbei, o ihr Gläubigen, Fröhlich triumphierend, O kommet, o kommet nach Bethlehem!
Sehet das Kindlein, Uns zum Heil geboren!"
Almost as soon as the first few notes floated in the cold air, Feliciano found his way back to Ludwig, pressing against the wall at his side and curling up next to him, eyes wide open, ears almost twitching, munching on a cookie.
After a small moment of hesitation, Ludwig watched his own hand shifting to enclose Feliciano's, who glanced up at him with a light flush on his cheeks and warm, open eyes.
"I–"
Flushing, Ludwig fidgeted slightly and his lips twitched upwards. Feliciano breathed deeply and snuggled closer, for once without saying anything.
The music, comfortable and soft, enveloped them like a blanket. The choir was divine, the atmosphere was joyous, and the company…
"Ve~ Ludwig! Look! We are under a mistletoe~"
Blinking in surprise, the blond looked upwards, and much to his surprise, he noticed there was something dangling above him, which looked suspiciously like…
The hell? It wasn't there a moment before… was it?
Something white flashed on top of the wall, but the moment the German looked up, it was already gone, making him rub his eyes in distress. It was the second time he'd seen…
"Lu~dwig, you know what you have to do when you're under the mistletoe, right?"
To his complete shock, the Italian was staring at him expectantly, cheeks reddish and eyes close. "Was?"
"You should kiss me now~ ve~"
His words made Ludwig freeze. Why was he hesitating? He'd kissed Feliciano already. This shouldn't be any different…
But of course it was.
His feelings from before, his feelings now… they had changed. This was what was different. This was what mattered. Kissing his ally before had been just a friendly kissing. To show care for the Italian, nothing more…
Now… he couldn't just go and kiss him, simply because they were both under the mistletoe. It wouldn't be fair. What if Feliciano understood that for Ludwig, things had changed? What if he was just looking for a friendly setup, and instead…
"Feliciano… I… I don't think that–" he flushed, pushing the Italian a bit away.
"Ve~ Ludwig's always so silly".
With that, Feliciano balanced his weight on the tip of his feet and reached up, one hand tugging Ludwig's arm, so he had to lean forwards enough to meet him halfway through.
Their lips touched.
It was the lightest touch, merely brushing together, and yet the feeling sent jolts through both their bodies. Feliciano tightened his hold on the German's arm, fingers clenching around the hem of his coat, letting out a soft moan; finally he shifted backwards, still caught in Ludwig's embrace and unwilling to let go.
"Ve~ Ludwig is always thinking far too much. I wouldn't kiss someone I don't love. E io ti amo, Ludwig" he murmured, lips twitching upwards. "You just took a bit more time to take notice of it, that's all".
Completely and utterly flustered and shocked, Ludwig couldn't actually say a word to reply to the Italian's strangely accurate remark –Feliciano had already pulled him down for another kiss, not allowing him to reply.
This time, their lips met squarely, warm and soft against firm and tense, and neither moved, alone in a corner whilst life all around them kept moving forwards.
Sweet, of a sweetness that neither Feliciano nor Ludwig had ever felt they were missing; it tasted of quiet mornings in the middle of a field, of flowers and music and things Ludwig couldn't explain to himself, in a sort of familiar way that enveloped him, making his heart thump wildly in his chest.
Feliciano smiled into the kiss, taste and touch enough to fill him with a contentment he'd only ever felt once before, far too many years in the past and yet still fresh.
And it was just right –the perfect conclusion to a bond they had nurtured deeper and deeper in their hearts.
Slowly, almost hesitantly, afraid to break the thread of understanding he'd just caught, Ludwig reached forwards, wrapping the Italian Nation in his arms and deepening the kiss again, cheeks flushed but now uncaring for consequences, having already tasted his sin.
Well, he had been thinking far too much, indeed.
Parting again, he coughed.
"I–it's your fault, giving me contradictory signals" he stated, pushing the Italian more into the hug so he would not see his red cheeks.
"I've always loved Ludwig, but you just needed some more time" was the soft reply. Thinner hands reached upwards, once again cupping his face. "It's all good that we're here together now, giusto? You have me and I have you~"
Unable to protest at the strangely convincing logic –despite his inner conscience that wanted to reply that actually, he had been waiting just as long– Ludwig removed his cooling body from the wall, and without letting Feliciano go, straightened up.
"Let's just go home".
"Yeah~" Feliciano held out his hand. "But I want more kisses when we get there".
Ludwig was about to shake his head, but one look at the brightened expression of Feliciano made a smile blossom on his lips instead. "Ich liebe dich, Feliciano" he muttered instead.
"Does that mean I get my kisses?" with a giggle, Feliciano darted ahead, flushed and clearly about to burst in joyous cries. "It's better we hurry up then~"
………Omake………
Gilbert, precariously holding onto the old wall, allowed the thread with the attached mistletoe to fall down, disappearing behind a food stand.
Slowly he climbed down, straightened up, petted his bird, who had once again curled up in his hair, and checked his watch.
"Ha ha ha! It seems it's time for dinner! The awesome me saved the day, today, too! An~d now, all alone, I'll go to Francis' and eat my night out!"
Marching out from Rothenburg, slightly swaying, Gilbert started to laugh. At least, if nothing else, he still had a night filled with French wine and good cuisine and some blackmail against his brother, if things came to that.
His laugh disappeared in the distance, fading as from the sky a soft, thin layer of snow started to fall.
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SOY: so that was it. Did you like? :)
––– Beware the amount of notes –––
Christkindlmärkte (German) – Christmas market.
Reiterlesmarkt – the name of the Christmas market that every year takes place in Rothenburg ob der Tauber. It dates back to 15 century.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber – Rothenburg on the Tauber, it's a medieval city along Upper Bavaria's Romantic Road.
Glühwein – a famous German beverage that is hot and spicy in flavor, and the ingredients vary from place to place.
Straße (German) – street.
Sì (Italian) – Yes.
Molto (Italian) – A lot.
Niet, Danke (German) – No, Thanks.
Bruder (German) – Brother.
Apfelwein – hot beverage, basically Cider.
Gut (German) – Good.
Herbei, o ihr Gläubigen, Fröhlich triumphierend, O kommet, o kommet nach Bethlehem!
Sehet das Kindlein, Uns zum Heil geboren!(German) – first verse of the German version of Adeste Fideles. "O come, all ye faithful, Joyful and triumphant, O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem! Come and behold him, Born the King of angels!"
E io ti amo (Italian) – And I love you.
Giusto? (Italian) – right?
Ich liebe dich (German) – I love you.