Well, my first Hetalia fic that persisted in my mind for the longest time (5 months) and which actually got written down. Others were not as lucky as the plot bunny kept running away. Luckily, I managed to tame this one. Hopefully it won't run away.
And for those who don't know (but I doubt you don't), the Grimms brothers are a duo of German folklorists/philologists who compiled local German folktales into the Grimms' Fairytales we know today, that includes the said Schneewittchen (Snow White) and Rapunzel.
Disclaimer: I don't own Schneewitchen or Doitsu. It belongs to Grimms' brothers and Himaruya Hidekaz respectively.
Warning: Drinking, supposed character death, acute depression (I dunno, does forever seem like acute?), and some kissing.
1 - I've waited long enough for you... (Germany x Snow White)
The constant ticking sound of his Timepiece placed next to Germany's bed on a bedside desk annoyed him to no end. It was not his fault that he couldn't sleep. He blamed the entire fault on the small, inanimate clock. Or maybe the fault was on that irritating bug that droned noisily, attracted by the light that was kept on in the garage; And because of the deathly silence that surrounded the house, even the slightest sound seemed deafening to the ears of the strict nation.
Germany was restless. It was 11:30 in the night, and he still couldn't sleep. He kept on tossing and turning in his bed, hoping he'd finally find a comfortable position to sleep, but it only resulted in making his bed-sheets more wrinkled and messed up. He had been repeating this action for the past two hours, and finally, when he realized he couldn't take any more of this, he growled aggressively and shot out of bed.
He let out a frustrated sigh as he got up and ran a hand over his blonde, slicked-back hair, hoping to ease down his gradually forming headache. He had to do something to stop this ever-growing insomnia. His body had been unwillingly continuing this practice for the last three weeks, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get himself to sleep.
But it was not the timepiece's fault, nor could it be blamed on the annoying firefly. He couldn't bear to see her dead again.
His insomnia took place just after he goes to sleep which never completes, as he wakes up rapidly seeing the same nightmare that had been haunting him ever since it happened in reality. But Germany couldn't construe the dream to be a nightmare. It was a sweet nightmare, if he was allowed to call it.
No, it was not a dream either, rather the repetition of a memory he tried hard to forget. The girl had been disturbing him by appearing in his dreams, with her smile that could make anyone's heart throb, and with that beautiful face and body he once claimed to be his. Memories replayed again and again in his dreams, especially the agonizing ones, and Germany had no choice but to wake up abruptly to prevent seeing more again, all drenched in cold sweat and panting heavily.
He wished from the utmost of his heart, that pray she come back to him once again. Not a single day passed, since that medieval year, when he didn't wish for Snow White's existence.
She was his, and he was hers.
But she was a mortal. And an immortal cannot expect mortals to be with them forever.
His blood pressure was rising by the second due to the saddening thoughts clouding his mind. He almost struck the desk near him in frustration. And that's when he decided he had to go out. Taking a walk always helped take his mind off horrible things. Maybe, he would even try and go for a beer, as he always thought that nothing but a good mug of Beer helped to forget things faster.
He softly opened his bedroom door as to not make any sound while he exited his room. Prussia's room was just opposite his, and the last thing the blond-haired nation wanted was his albino brother waking up and keeping him company while drinking. After tiptoeing softly towards the doorway, he stopped and listened for the satisfactory all-clear signal. Soon, the sound of Prussia's light snoring and the cries of the cicadas out in the dark were all that filled the auditory senses. Germany gave a small smile of satisfaction before he opened the door and disappeared into the darkness.
300 years before...
"Oh!"
The startled and sudden exclamation made on obviously seeing him, caused then 11-year-old Ludwig to turn backwards, from the small door of the rose-covered archway that marked as one of the many entrances to the Castle situated in the area. As soon as he turned back to face his surprised victim, he came face to face with a small, nine-year-old girl, clad from head to toe in a maid's dress, holding a big broomstick that implied that she was cleaning the ground, with a confused look on her face. Her dress was ragged beyond measure, and it was not even fit for even the most lower-class maid. But it was not her dress that caught his attention; it was her lively and fairy-like features. Black hair cascaded down her neck and stopped at her shoulders. Her red lips were red as the colour of blood. And last but which Ludwig found extremely strange was her complexion. It was pale, paler than the skin of the Slavic woman, who he met on his journeys to the neighboring kingdom, introduced to him as the personification of 'Kievan Rus'.*
He was so transfixed and caught in a trance seeing her appearance, that he actually took a while to realize he was actually gawking at her like some love-struck boy. He shook his head to break out of his trance and blushed hard. This did not help one bit to the girl's suspicion as to why he was here.
"Pardon me, but are you meant to see someone in the castle?" She asked, in a well-mannered tone.
Ludwig tried his best not to get lost in a trance hearing her bell-like voice, so he coughed and answered with his head raised high.
"I….um, would like to see the Queen." His voice came out grander than he expected, and mentally he applauded himself.
Snow White's expression, however, changed to that of worry when she heard him. She grew paler than she already was, and that set Ludwig to think that she was actually afraid of the Queen. She gripped onto her big broom stick and faced him with her head held down.
"She's… She's eating breakfast. You can see her after an hour." She replied timidly.
Somehow the sad face of the girl made Ludwig upset. She was much better wearing a smile in her pretty face than a sad expression.
"Actually, it's… uh, my brother who's visiting. I was ought to, um…. accompany him but then something caught my attention and I missed the path which my brother took, and then I got lost, and then I was walking over, when I found this gateway, and I thought it led to the palace, and that's when….."
His rant was suddenly stopped when the sound of tinkling laughter filled his ears. He blinked in surprise, facing the younger girl in front of him and his ears grew red in embarrassment. The girl was actually laughing. And it actually sounded nice to hear too.
"I, uh…. am glad I could amuse you." He said, slowly rubbing the back of his head.
Snow White smiled at him and before she could say anything, a boisterous voice called out from behind.
"Oi, West! The Queen's scheduled meetings are starting from tomorrow; I don't know how that happened, without even my awesome knowing, so anyway, let's head back home now."
Ludwig mentally face-palmed seeing the antics of his elder brother. "That's my brother, Sir Gilbert. He's a…. knight in the Kingdom of Prussia." Ludwig made sure to not let the truth of who his brother really was slip away to the little girl, and pointed him to her. She smiled politely, and gave a short curtsey once Gilbert saw her and flashed his trademark smile.
The blond-haired boy sighed, partly because of his brother's embarrassing debut in front of the angel and partly because he was leaving her presence.
Then it suddenly struck him. He could see her tomorrow, since they were coming again as the meeting got postponed. He thanked his stars.
"Will it of be any problem if I come visit you tomorrow? Same place?"
Snow White looked impassive for a moment before beaming at him. Then she nodded her head to say yes.
Ludwig was mentally jumping with joy. His heartbeat sped up. He was actually going to see her tomorrow! He couldn't stop grinning.
And the image of her smiling face did not vanish in his mind even after he bid goodbye, entered the carriage towards his homeland and laid down to bed to rest.
"My name's Snow White." She said shyly the next day, as she brought her slightly dirt-stained hand from the broomstick she used for cleaning the castle tower, towards Ludwig who had been sitting on the window sill watching her, to introduce herself. Ludwig shook it without hesitation.
"Ludwig. Ludwig Beilshmidt." He replied.
Snow White blushed even harder as she tried to hide her growing blush in the large collar of her dress. Ludwig apparently noticed this, and this only caused his blush to increase.
And Ludwig can never speak properly when he was blushing.
"Where… uh, are your parents?" He asked, wanting to change the tension in the atmosphere.
Snow White's eyes went downcast, her head went low and Ludwig immediately knew that he had touched a soft point. The alarm bells in his head began to ring as he hastened to make amends.
"I mean, pardon me… I have been a terrible person…"
"No, it's okay." She said softly. "My mother, the Queen died when she gave birth to me, and my father died a little while after marrying my stepmother, who now rules this land."
Ludwig eyes widened as far as he could manage. She…. was a princess? But why was she in rags then? Shouldn't princesses be wearing beautiful ball-gowns and attend a high-class school to improve and study feminine traits and behavior befitting that of an aristocrat? As far as he knew, he only saw her cleaning and doing chores during daytime. She talked to him while she worked. It was amazing, such a young girl be burdened with washing and cleaning at such a young age, and the palace nonetheless. Admiration and great respect crept in his heart hearing this, for the young girl in front of him.
"Why then are you working here? I mean, you should be attending some fancy school."
Snow White smiled sadly. She shrugged her shoulders and proceeded to finish her rest of the cleaning.
Ludwig felt sad for her. He knew exactly why she was pushed to do all the work. It was all because of her step-mother, who pretends to love and care deeply for her subjects while actually she was a conceited and vain narcissist, who has absolutely no pity on her step-daughter.
His forehead creased in fury. But as soon as Snow White faced him, he plastered a smile onto his face just in time.
"You must be real lonely here." He said. "I don't know how I would be of much help though; I'd be here only for a week till the meeting of my bruder gets over…"
"It's alright, Mr. Beilshmidt. Your presence itself brings me contentment."
"Please, call me Ludwig." He insisted, hearing her flattering reply, that made him to jump up suddenly without thinking, and he burst out what he had been keeping in his mind.
"When I grow up, I am going to end your misery." He said exuberantly, "When I grow up and become a big Emp… a huge officer in the empire, you will come and live with me and my bruder, where you will be treated like the finest maiden in the whole of the Kingdom."
Snow White blushed so hard hearing his statement that Ludwig can still remember the color of her face and compare it to that of her red lips.
And true to his word, in the days that passed by since, he visited her and kept her company, because that day had sealed a bond of trust between the two, which brought a small, flickering light of hope in Snow White's dull life, and a change from his normal, military-strict routine in Ludwig's life.
And soon enough, they were close enough to share their secrets and dreams with each other. Snow White had expressed her desire to one day meet her true love, and will marry him, regardless of where or how he comes from. Ludwig replied that he one day, would want to become a commander and control over a large number of people, and most importantly - properly train down his hyper-active and self-absorbed older brother. They laughed and shared jokes and the days passed by swiftly.
"I'm leaving tomorrow." Ludwig sadly announced, on the eve of his departure, to his new found-friend. He could see that she was disappointed when he saw her eyes go downcast. For a week, the girl had actually enjoyed herself for the first time in her life. She had actually met someone with whom she could confess and befriend, apart from her animal friends. She looked at him and forced a smile.
"You'll… you'll visit again, w… won't you?"
Ludwig felt as if his heart was to break into two. He couldn't promise her what he couldn't possibly assure to happen. But he didn't want to make her sad either. He was caught in a dilemma. He could not bear to even think about leaving someone who had ever understood him.
Suddenly, his mind raced back to the promise he had made that day to her. He could perhaps fulfill that promise once he becomes a full-fledged nation.
He faced the down-hearted girl. "Hey, you remember that promise I'd given to you that day?"
Snow White nodded her head.
"I'll… I'll fulfill it, I promise."
She stared at his earnest-filled eyes. Tears began to form in hers as she choked a sob which made Ludwig wonder whether he had done something wrong. And then she did something unexpected.
She came forward and hugged him tightly.
He was shocked at the sudden action that he couldn't react for several moments. Finally, even though not being able to believe his own eyes, he brought his shaking arms forward to return the hug.
"Please keep this as a token for all that you have done for me." She said, as she unraveled her small, white hair-bow from her hair and gently set it upon Ludwig's palms. His mouth went agape and he blushed hard.
"T… Thank you, Snow White."
She smiled as if to say she was welcome.
It was heartening.
The first part's finished, and probably the second one will be uploaded this week, that is, if I'm not busy.
Reviews are appreciated~