A/N: This is a de-anon from a kink meme about a fight involving Germany and another nation in the conference room. Human names are used, but this is not AU. Rated PG-13 for violence.
A Neighborly Dispute
Germany was early, as usual.
He would never show up late to the conference room when there were so many important issues to discuss. Showing up early would usually give Ludwig time to look through his notes, add on any last-minute changes to his speeches, and keep his nerves from getting in the way of what he wanted to say.
As he stepped in though, Germany noticed one other nation among the early birds. Austria sat in his place at the conference table. There was a stack of papers to Roderich's left, while he looked over another set straight in front of him.
"Good morning, Austria." Germany said, greeting him. Roderich simply waved in response, but he didn't even voice a simple hello.
If only that had been the worst of his offenses.
Germany stepped a little closer, trying to look at the paper that Austria was fixated on. There were not words on the page. Although he wasn't an expert in reading them, Germany could recognize written music notes when he saw them. Ludwig stepped behind his brown-haired relative, staring at the pages.
Ludwig hadn't even noticed the hustle and bustle of the other nations filing in, taking their seats. Even the dull noises of conversation did not pique his interest. Germany was far more interested in what Austria was doing.
"Why are you bringing sheet music to a meeting? This is official business, Austria." Germany told him. "With all due respect, we don't have time for a concert."
Ludwig tried to sound polite. The blond even tried to give his relative the benefit of the doubt. Maybe Austria was just so tired, he simply switched out the musical score with his speech papers. The aristocrat wasn't known for his stamina. His indoor lifestyle led to Roderich tiring quickly.
"Oh, you mean this?" Austria asked Germany, raising an eyebrow. The brunet shrugged him off, continuing to read his sheet music. He refused to even make eye contact. "I do have time for a concert. I'm going to perform one, right here in this room. Then I will charge everyone attending once they've heard my work." he explained, neatly stacking the papers. "It's all original, you see. I wrote every note on this page."
"You're going to what?!" Germany nearly popped a vein as he tried to process the audacity of Austria's little performance. "Don't you understand that a lot of our fellows in the EU are facing hard times as it is? Why on earth would you throw some surprise concert, and force them to give up money that could be better spent elsewhere!?"
Austria turned the other cheek. "I'm sorry. I didn't hear you over your hypocrisy. I seem to recall a rather drastic final solution you ended up carrying out."
"That was not my idea and you know it!" Germany snapped back quickly. His shouts and his temper only began to escalate.
Austria didn't stop there though. "Oh, maybe it wasn't your idea. But I'm pretty sure you gave a little construction project a green light, right in the middle of Berlin. You might have even thought it was nice not to hear all that riff raff making noise in the east."
"You know I didn't actually approve of that either!" Germany yelled, slamming his palm on the papers filled with Austria's music scores. "It was Russia's idea to build that wall, and my boss's idea to let it be!"
"Oh yes, I'm well aware that you never come up with any of these drastic ideas." Austria said coldly. He jumped back when the other nation started to display his anger, but he still held his ground. "But you never defend those who could be hurt by them either. I wonder what's making you take a sudden interest now. Do you have something to gain, Germany? That could be the only explanation for your sudden generosity."
"Don't act like I take after you!" Germany argued. The more Austria spoke, the more Germany's temper continued to flare.
Ludwig counted on his neighbor stopping right there though. Surely Roderich had said enough. Going any further would be unbecoming of an aristocrat who supposedly had such fine manners. The gentleman in spectacles even folded his hands, remaining cool and collected. Perhaps he just needed to vent. Everyone needed that, right?
Germany could have forgotten all his insults and implications, had Austria left alone. He really did just want to 'turn and walk away', because this wasn't the place to start an argument.
But Austria wasn't done. Just when Germany's turned his back on him, he spoke again.
"You know, I worry about letting you visit Greece's place." Austria commented. "I wonder what solution you'll come up with for his debt problem."
"Austria-" Germany tried to interrupt him, but he kept on going.
"Of course, I may be a bit too harsh on you. I imagine you'll let Heracles off easy, right?" The aristocrat said, shrugging. "You'll probably just annex him, provided that he gives up without a fight."
"Austria-" Ludwig said once more.
"I'm sure that you planned for Italy to depend on you too. You always came to his rescue, so he started to count on you without question." The brown-haired man said, making a smug expression while he spoke. "And as long as you can sweep in and save him, you'll go home looking like a hero."
"You don't understand anything! I would never annex Greece, and I hate Italy's dependence as you do!" Ludwig argued.
"Anyway, I suppose it's only natural you're like this. Despite my best efforts to steer you the right direction, you're still related to Gilbert." Austria stated. He spat out Prussia's human name, as if it were some kind of foul word. "No matter how much I've drilled manners into you, nothing can change the fact that you were raised by that man, who does nothing but fight like a common bar brawler."
Silence hung in the room for a second. By now, most of the attending nations had filed into the conference room, and the door made a click behind them to signal its locking for the sake of privacy. Just as that click sounded, something snapped inside of Germany.
He could take people making references to the Second World War. Germany could still hear people gossip about things like the Berlin Wall and only look upon them with mild irritation. These things were in the past, and they were easy enough to take in stride.
Insulting his brother was crossing the line.
A switch within Ludwig's mind flipped. Those ancient, primal instincts raged inside him. The European set aside his briefcase. From almost out of nowhere, he let out a loud, powerful war cry that echoed throughout the conference room.
With almost no warning, and without any time for the other to react, Germany charged madly at Austria. Before his cousin could even move, Ludwig tackled him to the ground, raising an angry, shaking fist. Germany brought down the punch swiftly. Austria could barely shield his face in time with his arms.
Peering between his arms, Austria could see another swing coming. While he was able to avoid what would have been a devastating blow from Ludwig, Roderich knew the bigger, taller nation was not going to let him get up so easily. Using his quick thinking, he grabbed Germany's ankle, jerking it to the right to send him off balance. It appeared to work. Germany swayed and wobbled for a moment, giving Austria just enough time to rise and stand once more.
"Now, Germany, was that really called for?" Austria asked him. "I was just telling you the simple facts."
Germany didn't answer with words. Instead, he found himself charging at his relative once more. This time, he was a bit slower, but his aim was intent. Ludwig reached forward, seizing Roderich's shoulders as he slammed the aristocrat up against one of the walls.
"Take it back." Germany threatened. He raised his right fist, which Austria was well aware was his dominant hand.
Austria only shut his eyes for a moment as the fist was raised to him. "Never. I won't stand for you calling me out for selfishness unless you recognize your own."
Ludwig went to throw his punch, but something happened that caught him by surprise. The moment that he shut his eyes, Roderich stepped slightly forward, head-butting his German relative before his punch could connect. He was slightly dizzy from using his own head as a weapon. Austria quickly recovered though, and managed to clench his hand into a fist. He jabbed it right into Germany's stomach.
Ludwig gripped his gut as he felt the wind get knocked out of him. He knew Roderich was looming over him, taunting, pointing a mocking finger toward him.
"Serves you right." said Austria. "You should know that when I'm cornered, I will lash out. It was your own mistake that led to this, I'm afraid."
"That's not enough to shake me off!" Germany exclaimed. "I said 'take it back', Austria! Everything you said! Take it back right now!"
Ludwig lunged forward, seizing Roderich's cravat. The Austrian grabbed a hold of his German neighbor's necktie in return. They remained locked in their positions. Each one of them glared each other down, as if daring one another to go just a little further.
By the time the two neighbors were at each other's throats, the other nations began to watch. Some of them backed away in horror, while others started to whisper. Snickers were even exchanged, and bets were called. But one nation among them was having none of it.
"That is enough!" a voice cried. While the shout in itself was not enough to get either Austria or Germany's attention, a loud bang made them turn their heads.
Rushing between them, quickly and brusquely pushing them apart was Switzerland, with his pistol still smoking from a sudden warning shot. "You idiots! You are nations of the world, not some schoolyard children! You ought to be ashamed!" Vash exclaimed.
"He started it!" Germany and Austria both exclaimed in unison. Along with their accusations, both the nations literally pointed fingers at each other.
"I don't care who started it!" Switzerland yelled, serving both of them a harsh stare. "I'm finishing it!" His gaze lingered on Austria just a little longer, his lips curling downward. He shook his head, feeling nothing but disappointment from his former childhood friend.
"I want you both to shake hands this instant! You have stalled our progress enough as it is!" Vash shouted in a loud, demanding voice. He made a threatening glare at both parties.
"No." Germany said plainly, turning his head the other way.
"Never." Austria replied, making it a point to turn the opposite of Germany.
As Vash separated the feuding neighbors, Hungary and Italy rose from their seats. Elizaveta grabbed a hold of Roderich's arm gently, while Feliciano hugged his German friend from behind. Elizaveta tried to calm the Austrian with words of reason, saying that relatives and neighbors shouldn't fight. Feliciano mentioned how it was scary to see the two of them argue, and he just wanted them to stop.
Austria looked back at Hungary, and Germany did the same for Italy.
Maybe this was awful stupid of them. The conference wasn't a place for a fight, and they were neighbors. They shared borders for years, and even lived together, for better or worse. Germany and Austria were more then friends when it came down to it. They were family. In the end, families had to stick together in tough times like these.
"Are you ready to put this behind you already? We don't have all day!" Switzerland exclaimed. He looked at both sides, almost thankful that Italy and Hungary showed up. Had this gone any further, he might have resorted to his typical aggressive neutrality.
Austria was the first to hold out his hand. "Of course I'm ready, Switzerland. I am a gentleman, after all."
Very reluctantly, Germany gripped the aristocrat's hand to shake it. "Sure, we can have a truce." He said. "For now, let's focus on more important matters."
After their handshake, Austria and Germany parted ways. They managed to sit by each other on the conference table, although neither met each other's gazes. As Ludwig prepared his own speech papers, he curiously moved his eyes to the right. He heard a shuffling noise, and felt a strong satisfaction when Roderich tucked the infamous sheet music underneath more important documents.
"Today doesn't seem like a good day for a concert." Austria said, catching his neighbor's gaze on him. "But I'm sure if we work hard enough, we'll all be prosperous again. Then everyone can have a listen to the music I've written."
~Fin