"Bruder?" Ludwig called shakily, his voice cracking. The war had ended, which was probably a good thing. The Axis powers had lost. Again.. probably a good thing. And now.. Prussia was being dissolved. Definitively not good.

"Gil.. Gil, say something, please" his voice cracked again as he held his brother in his arms. Gilbert was scarred and shaking uncontrollably. He smiled weakly at his brother, the light in his eyes dimming.

Feliciano turned to Austria, who was standing stoically next to him, and hugged him, sobbing quietly. Roderich closed his eyes and set his lips in a thin line. Elizabeta gently pulled Feli off of him and hugged him tight, crying into his shoulder.

Anywhere I would have followed you.

"Gilbert, please!" he cried, his voice desperate. "I followed you anywhere you asked. Please, bruder, you can't just leave now.. I don't want to say goodbye.." Gilbert coughed violently, flecks of blood scattering on his lips. Ludwig gently wiped them away. There was a soft thud as the door closed behind Roderich. Elizabeta glared after him, gently passing Feliciano to his brother Romano.

She chased after Roderich. Just moments later, shouting could be heard through the walls. "How could you be so heartless?!" they could hear her scream at him. A much calmer voice came through, muffled. "He is family, dammit!" her broken sob cried. The sound of shattering glass pierced the house. Romano looked to the door with a concerned expression but continued to hold his sobbing brother.

"I'm giving up, bruder, please" Ludwig whispered. Gilbert looked to his brother, an effort that seemed to take herculean strength to the dying nation. Gilbert gave one last weak smile to his brother. Elizabeta slipped back into the room, sniffling. Roderich did not return.

"Tell Mattie," he breathed. Ludwig shook his head violently, cutting his brother off.

"Nein!" he yelled, making everyone in the room flinch.

"Ludwig.." Elizabeta warned, her voice shaking. He shook his head again.

"He's not going to die, Liza!" Ludwig let out a single sob, hugging Gilbert to his chest. "He can't.. He- he's got to live to tell that damn Canadian he loves him! T-to annoy you and flirt obnoxiously. So you can hit him and then he'll pester me when I'm working. H-he can't die, Liza.." His denial continued even as life ebbed out of Gilbert. The Prussian lay limp in his brother's arms, his head lulling back.

And I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you.

Elizabeta masked a sob behind her hand. She led the Vargas brothers from the room, Feliciano still sobbing loudly. Ludwig was alone with his brother.

He sobbed, holding the marred body to his chest even as the albino's last breath left his lips. Ludwig's body shook with the violence of his tears. "I love you, bruder, you can't be gone.." Silence passed between the two. "Just say something." he sobbed. "I'm sorry I couldn't get to you in time, Gilbert. I'm so sorry."

Say something, I'm giving up on you.

That night was filled with tears all around. The mortician arrived quickly enough and took care of the body. Elizabeta went to a guest room and sat with the Vargas brothers in her bed. The three of them became inseparable in the months after Gilbert's passing. Feliciano took to tending to Gilbird and making sure the yellow bird survived well without it's master. New tormenting songs could be heard regularly through the windows of Roderich's now lonely home.

When news of his death reached Matthew, the young blond locked himself away for weeks, answering only to his twin. He refused to accept it. Matthew threw fits over his death, throwing things, crashing cars just because, screaming in the middle of the night from nightmares, hurting himself and others in the process. Ludwig was inconsolable.

It was years before the German left his house and began to face the world again. He had given up. When he finally did go into the world again, he saw his brother in everything. Everywhere he went, he could have sworn he saw that patch of white hair and those red eyes. He even thought he heard his voice sometimes. He took to the idea that somewhere out there, Gilbert was still alive. Even if it was just in the rebels around him. He could let go from that. He had to.

You're the one that I love, and I'm saying goodbye.