Maria knew she shouldn't have walked out of that bar alone. She should have called West, or some other 'responsible' person who would pick her up to drive her home. She should have stayed with Francis and Antonio, her two best friends in the entire world, who would have happily taken her back with them to their hotel. She should have done anything else then stagger down the street like a puppet operating only on one string down to her (least?) favorite aristocrat's house. The street lights blurred together when she looked up as she made her way to his house. Although she hardly expected her aristocrat to answer the door when she got there, nothing would have deterred her from the destination.
Roderich sat at home, playing his lovely piano with precision. It sang to him as the hammers inside hit the right cord, at exactly the right time. He wasn't playing a particularly difficult piece tonight, just the Cinderella Waltz by Prokofiev. Though he wasn't fond of most things Russian, this piece he always enjoyed playing with its' enchanting melody that reminded him of the days when balls where held somewhat regularly in Vienna. And of course the manic sections that always had their way of reminding him of the Prussian who found her way to his house one way or another. As if on cue, he heard three loud knocks at his door. Probably signaling said Prussian's arrival. In all truth he hadn't known she was in town.
She steadied herself on the door, watching as her breath formed steam in the cold winter air. Her shoulder supported her against the wall as she tapped her fingers insistently on her arm. Where was he? Could he have been out tonight to some random prissy concert he had the nerve not to invite her to? She stumbled over and caught sight of lights on inside. The fool wouldn't leave the lights on if he was gone. The door opened for her, revealing a blinding light and the man's figure standing in the way. She raised her arm to block some of the light, stumbling back with her puppet joints.
"Hallo Maria," Roderich said distantly as his mind was still filled with the chords of the waltz. Maria paid closer attention to his words now that they were like the night around her. Cold, and made her shiver down to her core. Or maybe that was the beer, she really couldn't tell considering how much she drank that night which was…a lot. Which was code for she had no idea anymore? Seeing the blatant drunkenness about her, he pulled her in by her arm watching as she nearly tripped over the short step inside. His other arm caught her before she would have fallen face first on the floor. "You ought to be more careful."
"You shh-should! Y-You know w-what you should doo Specs?" She nudged him weakly, not at all like she would if she was actually sober. "Y-you should either get out o-of my awesome face, or go in to to…the kitchen! And make me a sandvich voman!" He knew she was really hammered when she slipped into the stereotypical German accent. His eyes rolled at her and led her into the kitchen anyway. His reasoning being, although she may throw up more in the morning, it would negate some of the effects of the beer at the moment. And to be perfectly honest he was more concerned about her breaking things at the moment.
"I regret to inform you I don't possess the magic necessary to turn you into a sandwich. However, I suppose I could be kind enough to get you one, if you ask nicely and stop calling me a woman!" She made a confused face at him, one that screamed 'what the fuck do you mean?' He let out a frustrated sigh and rubbed the bridge of his nose as if trying to rub away some of her stupidness off of him, pushing his glasses up. "I will make you a sandwich, but first you have to stop calling me 'woman' for the rest of the night. Or whatever undignified nicknames you manage to come up with."
"E-einfach," She replied with a dopey grin on her face. "I-it's like you think t-the awesome me can't take orders." He turned around before his eyes could roll and hurried himself with making her food. Not quite having the ingredients for a sandwich (and making a mental note to go out to the store tomorrow), he hoped she would settle for some left over cake in the fridge. Her hand went to rest on a nearby table, she under estimated the distance and ended up falling, head first. Roderich turned on his heel and watched he just as she fell down.
Out of politeness, if nothing else, he closed the distance between them and helped her up. After all no matter how savage she was, no matter how much he absolutely loathed her, she was still a lady. And he supposed he was still a gentleman with the obligation to help her. "What did I say about you being careful?" He scolded as she leaned limply into him. "You're lucky you didn't hurt yourself. I would have had a hard time explaining to Ludwig how you managed to hurt yourself on my table." She nodded—or nuzzled, he wasn't quite sure—into his chest. He pulled out a chair for her, since it was the gentleman thing to do, and sat her down in it. The cake was set down in in front of her unceremoniously.
A small giggle escaped her lips as she took a fork in her hand. "You're s-so varm," She slurred, leaving him unsure whether she was talking to the fork or to him. Given her drunken rants he had come to know her by, he wouldn't be surprised if it was the fork. Maria rolled her eyes up to him, with that same old sly smirk on her face he had come to tolerate. "Kuchen…," She said taking a nice big bite of the cake. Her face seemed somewhat appreciative for one so drunk. He took a seat across from her at the table, looking down as she devoured the cake, one huge bit by bit.
Surprisingly enough, she didn't collapse into the plate and managed to hold herself up with some dignity like a doll someone set up for a tea party. Until afterward that is. With her cake devoured she set her head on the table next to the plate letting out a small noise like a kitten yawning. Roderich wasn't entirely sure what to do with her, but her plate was promptly dropped off in the sink to be washed later. He opened his mouth to possibly engage in some small talk with her but that was pointless. She was too drunk to have a pleasant conversation. Her eyes were still staring at him, questioningly. "Ja, is there something else you would like?" His voice was weary, knowing some of the unreasonable things that could come out of her mouth.
Her lips only crept towards upwards in a small smirk. "N-nein…nichts," She twirled her hair around her finger looking at it with a hazy gaze like it was the most important thing in the world. Her eyes moved up to his again, with the same foggy look. "T-the awesome m-me was vondering something actually. To b-be honest its very u-uawesome. But, I think it v-vould be v-vorth your time to listen~!" He crossed his arms across his chest and signaled for her to go on, bowing his head. What could possibly so unimportant that she would tell him when she was drunk? He could practically feel the irony the moment after he thought it. She reached out for him and pulled him down by the cravat, which became like a hangman's noose. "I-ich l-l-liebe dich."
Red flooded into his cheeks as Roderich pushed his glasses up and covered his eyes with his hand. He didn't want to see those red eyes while he thought, knowing that the second he pulled his hand away to look at her every move, every single breath with be scrutinized by her. Who the hell was he kidding? She was already doing it because he reacted! The way her eyes shone in the dining room light with that knowing face! Why not face the music to look at the albino now? Shaking slightly, his hand pried the cravat from her grip and stared at the woman. "You love me." It came out more as an acknowledgment than a question, as he had intended. His voice didn't even break when he said it. "You're drunk, you don't love me. You're saying things because of all the beer you drank. Go to bed, so you can sleep it off."
She sneered at him, even when she was drunk her judgment never ended! Her elbow propped her up. "I'm n-not that drunk!" She laughed it off, like it was a joke. Who was she kidding? It was a joke; they both knew she was hammered. Pushing off the table, her hair cascaded down her shoulders. "B-but! But b-b-but! But! I seriously love you. You're a-as classy as a m-motherfucker!" Her hand thumped against the table. "I s-swear to gott!" His hand rested on her shoulder. She looked up and saw his concerned expression, retracting her hand from the table in quasi shame.
"Again, you are drunk. Whatever love you think you feel for me-" He cleared his throat, for emphasis, not to choke back some emotional feeling. "Is a symptom of the beer you drank. Whatever delusions you have are merely that; delusions. It's best you go to the room you normally sleep in when you curse me with your presence." Now, she crossed her arms over her chest, facing away from him. Realizing that had been a bit rude, he squeezed her shoulder gently, hoping to bring her back to him. "You don't vex me as much as I say…but please! Sleep off your stupor before you say more idiotic things that you will regret in the morning." His other hand rested one her opposite shoulder, trying to comfort her in some way he didn't quite understand. Her hands met his as her head leaned into one of his arms.
"I-ich lüge nicht!" Maria insisted, squeezing his hands. "You are l-lying to yourself! Du liebst mich auch!" He moved his hands away from her. One rested on her head and patted it, he felt a bit bad for her. He felt a bit bad in general, not quite sure of the reason. She let out a small growl; she would not be patronized by him, not tonight. "Sto-p-p i-it!" Her arms rose above her head and she proceeded to flail them about. His hands retracted back to his body as he took a step back from the thrashing woman. She turned in her chair, giving him a small glare. "Come b-back." Though her voice was laced with intoxication, it was still as commanding as it ever was.
"I will not return to you until you stop your tantrum!" Roderich's voice was shaky, lacking the reserve required to abate Maria. Nonetheless, her arms fell and one rested beneath her chin as she raised a brow. "I will not return to you at all." She let out an exasperated sigh. Her gaze was disapproving as she looked the aristocrat up and down, watching him squirm under her scrutiny again.
"You vant to," She pointed out. "The aw-we some me can see it on your face, your-r body," Her r's rolled around in her mouth, his expression growing more disgusted by every growl of her harsh voice. "Everything about you s-screams you vant me. Y-y-you just choose to s-ay no!" Her smirk was smug and plastered on that semi-sweet doll like face she had the pleasure of owning (and remained that way for most of the night). The coils holding Roderich together at the center were wheeling as his blood boiled underneath his skin.
"It's my prerogative!" He exclaimed, placing his weight slightly forward. "I can say no to you if I choose to do so, there is no law against it." He couldn't deny her accusation any more, or rather choose not to. The decision wasn't clear, even to him. Her fingers tapped like snares to the gallows, marking the seconds he had left before his confession. His eyebrows furrowed, amethyst eyes peering off to the side, refusing her complete victory over him. Once the corner of his lips started to twitch nervously, she knew she had won despite his resistance. "You're beautiful for one who allows so much air to travel to her head and fill it with so many silly thoughts."
Her lips went back into a frown, giving a low growl. "N-not silly! Y-youuu just admitted it! I-I'm awesome a-an-d! I-I'm right." She nodded, obviously pleased with herself although the frown still remained like a hunter unsatisfied with the hit of his bullet against a young buck. "J-just sa-y it! 'I-I love y-ou!'" Her gaze taunted him, and he understood why most executioners were hooded when they did the deed as to avoid adding more insult to injury.
"You are the most unbelievable person in the entire world. I should know, I've had to put up with you and Feliciano for over a hundred years. You since childhood! And never have you given me a moments rest when I needed it. You have never been satisfied in any act of kindness I try to afford you. It's as if your goal in your life, whole and entire, is to torment me at every opportunity, and yet when you find yourself drunk you confess whatever feelings you might have. What kind of new torture is this? Of course I would believe you daft if you confess to me, do you have a mind woman?" He sighed, his eyes becoming soft as he realized that he was again being rude. "Nonetheless, I still sometimes find myself enamored by your ways. Perhaps because they're unconventional, because they have the tendency to ensnare men and I am easily ensnared as it is, perhaps because I am also daft, I can't say. But ja, du hast Recht." His gaze met hers. She seemed confused and hazy again. With the gleam that he was the only thing that mattered to her in the world.
The puppet joints held her up as she stood from her chair and carried her the distance between them. An arm came out to steady her but she pushed it away. "I-I vant to do it!" She whined, winding both of her arms around his neck. Roderich allowed her to do so, already tasting the beer on her breath. She stood on the tips of her toes to close the less than eight centimeter gap between them, instantly losing her balance. His hands went down to her hips, holding her in place as her joints failed to. "I v-vant you."
"You always want something from me," He said as skeptical as ever. The urge to stroke back some of her long snowy hair came and passed in a second. Why comfort her? She was winning this battle. There was no conceivable way he could win it. "I don't think you want me, you're getting caught up in the moment. And in the morning that feeling will have passed and I will be left alone here, like always, when you decide to visit me."
"Zhen ke-ep me! Für immer! Vhat better prize zhen having everything I always vanted in you?" She argued as her head leaned into his chest. Roderich's hands stroked up and down her back, in a brief hug as he felt how soft her hair was. "I-If I keep c-c-coming back I m-must not have what I vant. I never leave with you, do I?" Her lips grazed against his softly with a certain smugness that rendered the moment anything but tender. Two jagged pieces of metal had more love between then then those two had at that moment in particular. Roderich pulled away, though he had enjoyed the sparks flying from his lips. "I'll-ll p-prove I love you!"
"Or you'll prove you're a spoiled child who doesn't know what she wants," His voice was full of venom. Maria brushed their lips together again, trying to calm him and relieve him of his anger. She didn't have the fight in her to argue with that, since she didn't know what she wanted from him. Something made her want something about him, and she hated how imprecise that was. What, she couldn't exactly say, but she was elated when she felt his lips pressed against hers in a kiss. He kept his face close to hers afterwards watching her eyes swim around in her head through all the beer to focus. They narrowed at him as one of her hands came up to stroke his cheek. In retaliation he narrowed his eyes back and pulled her closer to him. "Was?"
"You k-kissed me," That came out more as an accusation than she would have liked. She watched his eyes roll behind his glasses before she took them off and set them on the table. His eyebrow rose at her, with his eyes showing some concern. She wanted those eyes, they were perfect. But she would never admit that out loud, that was silly, no matter how much she loved him. She wasn't a romantic fool like Francis, or the man before her.
He let out an exasperated sigh. "That's what couples do, if you're not aware. Did you really close yourself off to the ideas of love that much, Prussia?" He asked using her formal address. Maria scoffed and looked away from him. "Unless, you would prefer not to be a couple. I could imagine you being against it, given your aversion to most things dealing with romantic feelings. At this point, I don't think you're in a position to make a decision. Maybe in the morning we can continue this chat. In the meantime, I'm going to sleep."
Her hand held onto his arm tightly to keep him in his place. Their gazes met yet again. "I-I'm c-c-coming vith you." Roderich looked down at her body, starting to feel a bit light headed himself as he tasted the beer from her tongue in all of its bitterness. His stomach as in knots as his eyes settled on her chest; it wasn't anything to ogle at for too long, nearly nothing compared to Yekaterina's track of land or even his own ex-wife's. Left speechless with his mouth dry except for the prevailing taste of the beer, only the low whistle of Maria could distract him. Her eyebrow rose at him. "You vant m-me to come with you too."
"I wouldn't be that opposed to the idea," Roderich mused trying to untangle the loops keeping him so anxious and look away from the situation posed in front of him. Her hand glided over the front of his chest, over every fold of his jacket down to his pants before she mercifully brought it back up to his shoulder. Without his consent, a lusty growl escaped his lips which resulted in his explanation, "In fact, it would be rather enjoyable now that I think about it."
She stumbled along with him to his bedroom. Items of clothing were thrown against the clean floor like litter on a highway. Their hands traveled up and down each other feeling any small bit that they could touch trying to become one through skin, or kisses, which lead up to him finally entering. Her claws came out and streaked down his back in perfect bloody red lines that would make the finest razors jealous. He groaned miserably and began to leverage his weight against her, resulting in a chorus of yelps and nips at his neck. The coils in his stomach tightened around him with unbearable pressure for what seemed like an eternity before he felt his Prussian friend release around him. Shock waves flew across his skin causing him to follow soon after.
Only afterward did it occur to Roderich how little he had paid attention during their time spent entwined. He barely noticed that she fell asleep after their amorous acts immediately but he took her into his arms as though she was still awake. Old habits had always been hard to shake off and he would be remiss if he didn't think about all the times he spent holding Elizabeta after long nights of dancing or paperwork; although he would also be remiss if he didn't add that he hadn't felt the same burning desire after sex that he felt with Elizabeta.
Music of waltzes returned to his ear, namely the Cinderella waltz in all of its panic, as he felt Maria slowly breathing in her sleep. Despite the loud rhythmic pulse in his head, her breathing eventually put him to sleep, the scent of beer and all.
A/N: Yes, there is fem!Prussia involved in this. I hear you all booing and hissing at me as I type. This was a request from my friend, My Asylum, for Christmas. It's obvious it's a couple months late but I still hope she enjoys it and I hope you enjoy it as well.