Part of my Secret Santa.

Fanart: http://valentineumbreon(dot)deviantart(dot)com/art/APH-Melody-of-heart-147718824

Thanks to my friend Cheetah Goddess for making some kind of a good fanfic out of my worthless drabble. =3=

Taking her daily duties serious was something Hungary always made sure to do, Even if it wasn't her own house and she did the work for someone else, it didn't matter. The silence in the house was unusual but it had become more and more lonely in Austria's house these days. It was all mirth had left the house with the disappearance of the Holy Roman Empire. Only Austria, Hungary and Italy remained in the normally busy home. With the absence of people came the absence of work for Hungary. She was already done with almost all the work for this day; only one last room was left.

Hungary carefully turned the doorknob and peeked into the room. It was empty, but it seemed like the one whom it belonged to had just been inside. She took small, silent steps into the room, careful not to disturb the noble aura that always lingered inside. Taking a soft breath, she looked around, peering in every corner of the room to find any kind of dirt she could wipe away. Since most of her work was done, Hungary took her time restlessly pacing around, stopping in front of the impressive piano in the middle of the room. It felt like the whole room was built only to compliment the huge instrument. The window was open and the soft early summer wind blew through the curtains and caused them to billow gently into the room, making them like soft waves of white. Late afternoon sunlight shone into the room, making the piano shimmer a dark midnight blue.

Even if the days in the house had changed, the sound of the piano was something that never faded away. Hungary stretched out her hand and carefully touched the white ivory keys of the instrument. It made her feel warm inside, reminding her of every single time she had stood in front of the door without the pianist inside knowing she was there. Hearing him play his melodies always delighted her while she spent her days here. But his melodies had since become lonely and sad, expressing the feelings that were always locked so deep inside of him. Hungary sighed and pressed one of the keys down, one that would usually the piano to give one of its beautiful tones.

Not this time; it was the wrong person touching the key. Hungary would never be able to make this piano play all the heart warming melodies he was able to coax out of the instrument. But…that was okay. This was his way of expressing his feelings. His way to make the people around him know what he was thinking. Hungary wished she had a way to tell him what she felt. To tell him why she was still here even if she could just go away and leave him alone like the others did.

A sudden noise made Hungary turn her head to the door. He was there, calm as always, his lavender eyes glancing through his glasses to where Hungary was standing, unspoken questions lingering between the two of them.

"I'm sorry." Her whisper barely broke the silence. "I didn't mean to touch it…" Looking away to try avoid his gaze with a slight blush, she took a few steps away from the piano, clasping her hands behind her back.

He didn't respond, only walked over to his instrument and sitting down on the piano bench in front of it. A slight pain stung Hungary's heart when his fingers began to flow over the keys. The melody he played filled the room with a thick fog of heartbreaking loneliness, making Hungary's breath catch in her throat. She would give away everything she had if she could make this man play one of his joyful melodies again.

She blinked away the tears that threatened to build in the corners of her eyes and made her way over to him. "Austria?" Hungary carefully placed both her hands on his shoulders, standing behind him and waiting for an answer as he stopped playing. Seconds of silence took hold before he finally responded, his voice soft and noble like it always used to be. "Ja?"

Hungary closed her eyes holding her breath for a moment as all the things she wanted to ask and all the words she wanted to tell him flew through her mind, begging and sighing to be spoken.

I want to stay here.

Let me be with you.

Can I stay?

Will you allow me to be yours?

I dream about you.

My thoughts are always with you.

Will you smile for me?

Austria…?

"I like it when you play the piano." Only a quiet whisper, so close to what she really wanted to say, what she would tell him one day. Maybe when these hard days were over…maybe they would be together like she wished they could be. And he would never play sad melodies again.

"Danke…" His fingers pressed the keys again, the melody changing into a gentle song that made Hungary's heart melt and the tears come back to her eyes, but her slightly blushed cheeks remained dry. She just moved closer, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and buried her face in the crook of his neck as she listened to his melody, mingled with the sound of both their heartbeats.

It would be okay. Everything would be fine if they could just stay like this. Only the two of them forever.

Maybe words were not necessary to express the feelings they had for each other. Sometimes just a melody and a touch could be enough for them to tell each other what their hearts were thinking.

It was nothing more than a simple sentence, yet so hard to express…

… I love you.