From Wikipedia: "Auferstanden aus Ruinen" (German for "Risen from Ruins") was the national anthem of the German Democratic Republic (GDR), commonly known as East Germany, during its existence from 1949 to 1990.
This idea came to me and won't let me go, and I simply had to finish it in time for Christmas! It's a teensy bit late but hope you enjoy it nevertheless! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
East Germany blew on his gloved hands, rubbing them together in an attempt to generate warmth. It helped just a little. He tucked them back in the pockets of his standard issue grey overcoat.
All through this, his eyes never left that wide expanse of dark grey concrete.
That blasted, accursed wall.
It was strange. A long time ago, when that wall had just been built, he had hated it with all his passion, thrown curses and stones at it alike. But now he couldn't make himself feel much of anything anymore. The harsh descriptions that he still used by habit lacked their former heat, as if snuffed out by the falling snow.
(What was on the other side of the wall, again? Sometimes he couldn't quite remember.)
He wasn't sure how long he stood there, occasionally chafing his hands again for warmth, just staring at that nothingness. The wind swept by, stealing more of his body heat, but he couldn't bring himself to really care.
"Do you have family in the West?" a soft voice asked.
And East Germany jolted, because that voice was so achingly familiar.
(So very little had felt familiar in recent days.)
Family? Did he have family, over on the other side of the wall? He did, didn't he?
Suddenly he remembered; that prissy aristocrat, Hungary, grumpy old Switzerland, sweet little Liechtenstein, his entire noisy bunch of brothers… West. Bits and pieces of his memory returned, uncovered from the snow that had hidden them from sight. The days before the wall, the days before the endless grey.
He had forgotten how he had once soared as the Black Eagle, spreading mighty wings of black and white. He had forgotten about being Prussia, not the German Democratic Republic but the Kingdom of Prussia.
He had forgotten about him.
That man was still standing there, when Prussia finally refocused on him. He must have zoned out for ages, but he was still there, standing beside him despite the biting wind.
He looked back at the wall with eyes that now stung with more than just the cold. "Yeah. Yeah, I do."
A companiable silence fell, interrupted only by the swirling wind, as both stared out at the wall as if trying to imagine what was beyond it. Prussia couldn't help sneaking looks at the man beside him. Perhaps he wasn't the exact mirror image of the one he had known, but his heart knew that they were the same.
(His heart that had beaten in rhythm with the people of Prussia and now the people of this land.)
"Would you like to spend Christmas Eve with me and my family?"
Prussia looked over at him, surprised. The grey eyes that met his gaze were warm and sincere. (Grey, like the concrete wall, but nothing alike)
"Can I really?" The query came out remarkably child-like and he remembered more, of leaning his head against that great man's knee with his eyes closed and feeling gentle fingers run through his hair.
A smile blossomed. "Of course, you'd be very welcome." A hand was extended. "I'm Friedrich Kron."
The clasped hand was warm even through the fabric of his glove. "Gilbert Beilschmidt."
They weaved through the city, walking along snow-tinged streets where houses flanked both sides. Prussia watched with wide-eyed wonder at the beautiful scenes he could just see through windows. Families gathered, children played, parents smiled. Even with how little they had, the people made the most of what they could. It truly was a time of love and joy.
Friedrich led him to a house that was very much similar to its neighbors, but like the others the warm glow from inside seeped out to battle winter's cold grey. Prussia got a brief glimpse of two fair heads peeking out of the frosted window before the door was thrown open and a whirlwind dashed out.
"Vati!"
"I'm home, Liebling!" Laughing, he swung the boisterous child into his arms. The boy was already rattling off what he had done that day a mile a minute.
A little girl, barely two by the looks of it, stumbled over after her older brother. Friedrich's eyes crinkled as he bent to pick up his daughter as well. She touched stubby little fingers to her father's face.
"Hmm? What is that, my little Prinzessin?" He nudged his nose against hers, making the child giggle.
The boy had noticed Prussia by then, and he tugged impatiently on his father's sleeve. Friedrich chuckled. "Children, this is Herr Beilschmidt, he'll be joining us for dinner."
The boy had squirmed to be let down, and he beamed up at Prussia. "Cool! Frohe Weihnacten, Herr Beilschmidt!" he shouted cheerfully, before dashing back into the house, no doubt to tell his mother the news.
Prussia laughed at the boy's energy. A boy after his own heart!
A tentative tug at the sleeve of his coat made him return his attention to Friedrich, or more specifically the young girl still in his arms. Baby blues stared at him expectantly, face coloring a little as he smiled.
"Frohe Weihnachten," she lisped shyly, before hiding her face in her father's arm.
Prussia's heart melted, remembering sweet days with a child who had been very much the same. "Frohe Weihnachten, Fräulein."
A woman had appeared at the open door, silhouetted by the warm glow from inside. Friedrich smiled, walking towards her. Prussia watched as he kissed his wife chastely, their linked hearts in their eyes.
This time, no longer tied down by his position and duty, he had fallen in love.
A small hand clasping around his snapped Prussia from his stupor. It was the boy from before, now cheerfully tugging him towards the house with an infectious grin spread over his face.
"Come on!"
The rest of the little family had turned to him as well, and he swallowed back emotion at the welcoming smiles on all their faces. The interior of the home was warm, so very warm, a fire crackling merrily in the grate.
The table had been set with a Christmas dinner of simple yet hearty dishes. The spread tablecloth added to the festive air, dyed-red cotton with white flowers likely hand-embroidered by Frau Kron herself.
Friedrich's wife headed to the kitchen presumably to lay out another set of cutlery for him, the youngest child tottering after her. The boy, ever excitable, had speeded off somewhere again. An evergreen stood in the middle of the living room, decorated with pretty wooden ornaments, glass baubles and tinsel. Crayon drawings by the children were pasted haphazardly across the walls, mostly along the bottom, wherever their enterprising artists could reach.
It was the very picture of domestic bliss, and it belonged to this man so close to his heart.
Prussia didn't realize that he was crying until Friedrich had gently touched his cheek, wiping the tears away.
"I'm sorry, my friend, I didn't think how this might bring back unwelcome memories for you."
He shook his head vehemently, because Friedrich had misunderstood those tears for sadness. He tried to explain, but the tears choked him. He swallowed thickly. "No… Thank you. Thank you for everything. Really. Thank you…"
Prussia was taken aback when Friedrich engulfed him in a tight, strong embrace.
"Group hug!" a cry came from the side, and without further warning a small body barreled into them, toppling them to the soft carpet. The boy peeked at them cheekily from his vantage point over the two adults. His sister clambered solemnly into the tangle after him, nestling into the crook of Prussia's elbow.
Utterly stunned, Prussia simply had to laugh, waves and waves of laughter that had been keep bottled up for too long. It was laughter that made his sides ache, and brought more tears to his eyes; they streamed uncontrollably down his cheeks and this time it was tiny fingers that resolutely brushed them away.
"No cry. Happy." Her little frown was almost stern. He gave another short moist laugh as he leant down to kiss the toddler on her forehead. "I am happy," he told her. "Very, very happy." And it was the truth.
Dear diary,
The awesome me had an awesome Christmas this year. I awesomely helped to clean up after dinner, then told the children lots of awesome stories!
The Lord bless them all.
Prussia smiled as he read through the old journal entry again, before reaching to his side for the letter that he already knew by heart just like the ones before it.
"Dinner is ready, bruder!" Germany called from the top of the stairs. Behind him Austria was grumbling about something as always, while the scent of Switzerland's cookies was already starting to fill the house. Hungary and Liechtenstein would be setting the table and more likely than not Kugelmugel was adding something yet again to the Christmas tree in the name of art. They were a mad bunch, but they were family.
"Coming!" he yelled back.
He propped the photo up on the mantel with the folded letter, vowing to find a frame for it later. Three generations of the Kron family beamed merrily up at him. He knew each of their names, down to the youngest member – he had been at some of their christenings; was still amazed at being named godfather to the eldest grandchild. On the back of the picture, this time scrawled in the lopsided handwriting of a child, were the same words that ended every letter.
'Forever with love'
Forever was a long time, but he knew without a doubt that they would make it happen.
A breakdown of my Google German, haha
Liebling – term of endearment, literally love
Prinzessin – princess
Frohe Weihnachten – Merry Christmas
Fräulein – a polite term previously used towards unmarried young women and girls. Usage is rather old fashioned in the present day.
Bruder - brother
Gesegnete Weihnachten und ein glückliches neues Jahr!