"Morning Specs!" Prussia called out, strutting through Austria's house in search of the brunette. "Where are you?"
"I'm right here Prussia." Austria practically growled from behind him, stalking out from a doorway which the albino had just walked past. "And have you any idea what time it is?"
"Yup! 6:30am exactly"
"And would you like to explain what you are doing here so early?" Austria had taken to banning his lover from his home from 9 o'clock at night till 9 o'clock in the morning, on the grounds that Prussia's heavy metal music at two in the morning made it impossible to be 'well rested' for the day ahead. Or as Prussia had put it, Austria was just like a girl who needed his 'beauty sleep'.
"Not yet, you'll see!" Prussia laughed loudly, before practically skipping off down the hallway to the kitchen. He was just reaching into the fridge for one of the beers he kept there as Austria stomped up behind him, a scowl plastered on his face.
"Also, would you please explain how you got in?" Austria demanded, feeling sure he had locked the window Prussia normally entered by.
"Oh, through the front door." Prussia nonchalantly answered, leaning against the counter and taking a deep swig from the beer can. "The window was locked and I didn't feel like forcing it open again.
"B'but I thought I had locked the door!"
"You had."
"Then-"
"I have a key – the spare one you normally keep inside your violin case."
Austria was speechless for a moment, before sighing in defeat – he knew there was no way of stopping Prussia from entering his house, as he had learnt many times in the past.
Prussia grinned victoriously at Austria's exasperated face, before tossing the key back at him. It had a tiny piece of purple ribbon tied around it in a bow that looked as if it had been tied up painstakingly – Prussia liked to keep things neat, even if he wasn't that dexterous with his fingers.
"Happy birthday Specs!"
"Uh… Thanks…" Austria took the key gingerly, before putting it in his pocket. "Now is that the only reason you came here?"
"No, obviously!" Prussia gulped down the rest of his beer. "I've come to give you your real present!"
Less than an hour later, Austria found himself in Prussia's clean but rather bashed about (curtesy of a few drunken nights out with Spain, France, and a disregard for drunk-driving laws) silver Volkswagen, speeding along the motorway.
"Where are we going exactly?" Austria – who was gripping the seat for dear life – dared to ask, torn between not distracting Prussia in the hope that he might keep his eyes on the road, and finding out his plans for the day.
"Oh, you'll see!"
Austria sighed, and went back to grasping the seat as if his life depended on it.
When the pair finally arrived at their destination, Austria gasped in astonishment to see they were outside the Vienna Musikverein, one of his country's finest music halls. Its design was similar to that of a temple, and with the stunning columns and gables, one could not help but be overawed at its beauty. Austria had only visited the Musikverein once before, to see one of the Vienna Philharmonic's New Year's day concerts in the beautiful building's Golden Hall[1], avoiding the waiting list that could be many years long for tickets – being a nation personification came in handy sometimes! Austria knew for a fact that season tickets for the orchestra's weekday concerts had 6 year long waiting lists and weekend concerts, 13 years!
"Prussia-" Austria began, before being cut off by the silverette.
"I pulled a few strings." And then realising his own joke [2], snickered to himself. "Pun not intended, but as it was awesome, you can pretend it was!"
Austria, who had chosen staring in awe at the hall over trying to get Prussia's attention, seemed not to hear the albino, and opted to continue to drool like a five year old when presented with ice cream.
"Okaaay…" drawled Prussia, unused to seeing Austria neglecting his usually refined persona. "Let's just get inside shall we?"
Once Prussia had dragged Austria to his seat (in a prime position), he too looked around the gorgeous room in amazement. Mere minutes before the performance was due to begin, Prussia excused himself to go to the toilet, to Austria's dismay.
"Don't be late back!" he ordered, "I'll never forgive you if you're late!"
As the orchestra began to tune, Austria was past the point of panicking, and was genuinely worried – Prussia hadn't returned. The lights in the auditorium dimmed, and the conductor turned around from his position on the podium to announce the first piece.
"Welcome Ladies and Gentlemen. Please welcome to the stage our guest soloist with his debut performance on 'cello, Gilbert Beilschmidt."
The audience clapped politely, as Prussia strode confidently onto the stage, throwing a customary wink in a stunned Austria's direction.
Sitting down on a chair which had been placed on stage for him, Prussia and the orchestra began to play. "Antonín Dvořák, Rondo for 'cello in G minor, Opus 94, Allegretto grazioso.[3]" Austria whispered to himself, recognising the distinctive opening phrase instantly. He knew how incredibly difficult this piece was – post diploma level [4] – and was astounded by how confidently and professionally Prussia was playing.
When Prussia finished playing and bowed to rapturous applause, Austria could have sworn he saw him mouth "I love you" in his direction.
The rest of the concert went by in a daze for Austria, who was still flabbergasted at Prussia's performance. The second the concert ended, Prussia emerged next to Austria, an ear-splitting grin on his face.
"Heya Specs! Did'ya see me?!"
"Yes Prussia… I did. You were amazing!"
Prussia continued bouncing up and down all the way back to the car.
"Hang on", said Austria suddenly, "Where's your 'cello?"
"Oh, it's being dropped off at my house by someone." Prussia said with a wave of his hand.
"And speaking of your violoncello[5], when exactly did you learn? I didn't know you played!"
"Well what else did you expect me to do at two in the morning? Listen to heavy metal music?"
Austria burst out laughing at the sheer ridiculous nature of the situation. "Prussia, you don't just become a concert 'cellist overnight!"
Prussia ceased his skipping, and instead shuffled his feet nervously. "I might have been taking some lessons…"
"You don't say!"
"It was all for a good reason though!"
"And what reason was that?"
"To surprise you, my love! Happy birthday Austria!"
A/N
Aaaand there's the Austria birthday story to match the Prussia one.
Happy birthday (26th October) Austria!
Footnotes:
[1] All true, I did my research!
[2] Orchestral pun – stringed instruments? Pulled some strings? Get it? No? Fine.
[3] This is, as you've probably guessed, a proper piece. My (crazily talented) sister is playing it in a concert in March!
[4] It is insanely hard – put it this way: here in England, we can take 8 grades on an instrument (grades 1 to 8). Grade 1 is easy, Grade 5 is when people who aren't very good at music tend to stop, Grades 6 and 7 kinda prove you're damn good and Grade 8 is normally taken from an=bout the age of 16 up (assuming people start learning an instrument at age 7ish). Some people take it at 14 and 15, they're very good musicians. Even fewer people (we're talking like one in 500) take it at age 13 or less (my sister is 12 and taking it in a month!)
Diploma is like Grade 11 (which doesn't exist but hey) in hardness. Barely anyone takes it because of how hard it is. This piece I'm talking about is an after-diploma piece. So Gilbert would have had to have been taking lessons for AGES to be that good.
[5] Violoncello is a 'cello's full name. Hence why I've been writing 'cello not just cello. Just sayin'. I'm a grammar freak.
Okay I'll shut up now! Check out my Prussia birthday fic?
Emily Prustrian