They were the pride of their countries; the young, elite team known as The Nations during World War III- until they were captured. Years later, they're all still friends and reunite every Christmas to celebrate their lives, despite their disabilities…
A future!Post-WWIII!AU story
"Listen? Do you hear the bells?"
"Sorry, dear, I still do not."
"Well… that is a shame…"
A young couple made their way down a snow covered street in New York City, the wind wiping about them and people bustling all around. Everyone was trying to get their last minute shopping done before Christmas Eve in two days- most seemed to be succeeding but there were the few that looked like they might kill someone for the prized gift they could not find.
The woman snuggled close to the man, curling into his warmth, despite the fact that she was not all that cold. Covered in a thick white coat with a fur lined hood, she looked just snug, light brown hair escaping the cap as she smiled ahead, taking in her surroundings. But the man was quite the opposite- he held the woman close, as if he might lose her in the crowd. He, too, had on a thick coat, but his was dark and more professional looking, especially as he glared, eyes downcast, in front of them. Their views on the holiday seemed to be on different spectrums.
Neither of them saw, though, as a middle aged man pushed into the woman, dropping his things in the process. "Hey!" He yelled at her, "why don't you watch where'yer going!"
"Oh, I am sorry," the woman apologized, her voice thick with a foreign accent, "with all the noise, I did not hear you. Truly, I apologize."
The man huffed as he bent down, gathering his things up into his arms. "Well then why dontcha use your eyes, you stupid bitch!"
"Excuse me," the man who was with the woman spoke up, getting the other's attention, "I would respect it if you did not speak to my wife in such a manner." He told him, his accent- different from her's- making itself known, as well.
Tugging on her husbands sleeve, the woman shook her head, "no, Roderich, it is my fault for not hearing him. Sir, I am quite sorry." She said, holding her hand out for him to take.
When he looked up at her, his eyes went wide, seeing that she was not looking directly at him. The man looked up at her husband, Roderich, who shook his head silently, confirming his suspicions. "Ah- ah, it's fine." The man said as he took her hand, "it was my fault, sorry for yelling at you like I did."
The woman smiled once more, helping the man up. "It is no problem. Please, have a merry Christmas." She told him as she shook his hand, placing her other on top, still not looking at him.
"Y- you as well." He stuttered back. Then he turned and began away, disappearing into the Christmas crowds.
Roderich sighed as he once again took a hold of his wife, leading her away. "You are much to kind, Elizaveta." He told her, lightly kissing her cheek.
Elizaveta just continued to smile, pressing into her husband's arm and side as she had before, "it is the season to be so, Szerelem- you should consider this." She said as she jokingly nudged his side, then shivered. "How much longer until we reach Alfred's?" she then asked, "it is not as cold as it is at home, yet it is still chilly."
"Only a few more blocks," he responded, "I told you we could have taken a cab from the hotel."
The woman giggled. "Yes, but then we would not have been able to experience what we just did," she told Roderich, "I believe we may have put him more into the giving spirit- or at least made him think before he judges others, again."
Once more, Roderich sighed. "You are mad, woman." He told Elizaveta, "but ich Liebe dich."
"Szeretlek as well."
"Roderich! Elizaveta! You made it! Welcome!" A young blonde man called as he heard the door open, wind wailing as Roderich struggled to get it shut. He waved at them from the next room and hauled himself from the loveseat he had been sitting in and into a close by wheelchair. Adjusting his legs in the chair, he wheeled over to them quickly, stopping just in front of the couple.
With her usual smile, Elizaveta turned to where she heard the man's voice come from. "Alfred! It is good to hear your voice once more!" She laughed as she tugged her hood down, freeing the rest of her wavy brown hair and allowing her husband to completely remove her coat, "how have you been?"
Alfred took her free hand and squeezed it tightly, greeting her gently, "oh, same as always," the man laughed with her, "it's not easy being the hero around here, you know!" As soon as Alfred released her hand Elizaveta reached out, lightly brushing her finger tips over his face, shutting her eyes.
"Well, you sure do feel the same," she told him, readjusting the glasses she had knocked askew from his nose, then withdrawing her hand, "how is Arthur?"
Shrugging, he replied, "same old grouch as he's always been," he joked, sticking his tongue out (and making a sound of disgust for Elizaveta's sake) like a child. "Hey, Artie!" Alfred yelled up the stairs, turning his wheelchair a bit to do so, "Elizaveta and Roderich are here, so get your ass down here!" He looked back around to the married couple, "sorry, he's probably setting Antonio and Romano up in their room- they only just got here, too. Ah, speaking of which, how've you been, Roderich? I asked your wife but completely ignored you."
Roderich gave a little, false half smile, "Alright. I've been working with the current president of my country over the issues with the Program. So far it is running smoothly."
The blonde nodded, understanding what he meant. The Program he referred to was something all of them had once been a part of- the one thing that brought them all together.
"Why must you be so bloody loud, Alfred?" An annoyed British voice said form the stairs as another blonde man (his hair a bit lighter) made his way down them, "you won't be able to yell like that when Veniciano gets here- you'll give him an attack and Ludwig will ring your neck, ya git." Green eyes then shifted to Elizaveta and Roderich, the sight of them banishing the stern frown that usually marred his face, turning him into a real gentleman. "Ah, it is wonderful to see the two of you. Roderich, it's good of you to come." He said, reaching out a gloved hand.
"Of course, Arthur- we would not miss it for the world." The dark haired man nodded once, taking his hand and shaking it firmly.
Arthur then turned to smiling Elizaveta, taking her outstretched hands in his own, "and dear Elizaveta- looking as beautiful as ever. But I'm positive you know this, already." He told her, bringing her hands to his lips and kissing them gently.
"Thank you, Arthur," she responded, taking her hands back and reaching up to feel at his face. When she was done, she leaned in and gave him a friendly little peck on the cheek, making him blush.
Naturally, the wheelchair bound blonde cackled at Arthur's light blush, nudging Elizaveta jokingly. "Hey now, Hungary," he called her by her nickname, "don't you go making my boyfriend go straight on me!" The American laughed whole heartedly.
At his words, Arthur rolled his eyes, "please, come in- make yourselves at home." He told them, leading the two into the overly large living room. "Alfred, why don't you go and make them some drinks to warm them up? Coffee for Roderich and tea for Elizaveta, I assume."
The young woman nodded, gripping her husband's arm as he led her into the living room, "yes, as always. You know us much too well, Arthur."
"Right! Coffee and tea coming up!" Alfred said, spinning his wheelchair around and practically flying into the other room, headed for the kitchen. "We only have Artie's nasty Earl Grey and Breakfast Tea- hope you don't mind, Elizaveta!"
"No, that is quite fine. Thank you, America."
"Come, dear, you can sit down, now." Roderich said softly, helping to guide his wife onto the love seat Alfred had been sitting on earlier, right next to a roaring fire in an ornate fireplace. He then looked up at Arthur, who had sat down in a single and picked up a teacup from a little table next to the chair "who else has arrived so far? Besides Antonio and Romano?"
Arthur sighed as he set down the teacup, which Roderich assumed had been either cold or empty. "Ah, Kiku and Heracles have been here since Thursday and Gilbert and- ah, what's his name? Alfred's brother- got here yesterday, with Vash and Lilli getting here last night. This morning Toris and Feliks showed up- Feliks all bundled in a red and white fur dress- and only a little while after them Yao and Im Young Soo made it. And, of course, Antonio and Romano arrived only about an hour ago. Romano's brother, Veniciano, should be here by tomorrow morning with Ludwig and that frog, Francis, should show his face sometime before Christmas Eve." The small man rolled his eyes, frowning deeply at the thought of the Frenchmen, who he next to despised.
Even Elizaveta could sense his disdain. "Perhaps you should be a little kinder toward Francis, Arthur," she suggested, "it is hard for him this time of year- all of us here with our loved ones and he having to remember that his has passed." The young woman said softly, squeezing her husband's hand. She couldn't imagine how it would feel if she lost Roderich- especially in the way that Francis had lost the woman that he had loved so deeply.
But Arthur just scoffed. "There's no point in even attempting- all he does when he gets here is swallow down all of my fine wine and try to seduce anyone willing to listen. Or he'll disappear for hours and return with a giggling, drunken young lady hanging on him and giving the rest of us odd looks. Well, isn't Francis bloody lucky for not recieving any physical damage. Let me tell the two of you, if he does it again this year I'll damage him myself. Make him look like all the rest of us."
"Coffee and icky tea is served!" Alfred called as he wheeled himself back into the living room, a silver tray balanced carefully on his lap, his boisterous voice slicing through the tense atmosphere Arthur had created. "Don't worry, Artie, I brought some for you, too." He told his partner, rolling over to him and handing him a cup from the tray.
At that, the green eyed man rose, taking the tray from Alfred's lap. "Thank you, love. Here, I'll take this for you." He told him, walking over to Roderich and Elizaveta, handing the man his coffee and helping the woman to grip her tea cup. "If you don't mind, I think I shall go and check up on everyone else. Roderich, Elizaveta," he said, nodding to each in turn, "please come and find me later and I shall show you to your room." Arthur then walked to Alfred and bent down to him, kissing him quickly on the mouth before heading out of the room and back up the stairs.
Once he was gone, Alfred 'humph'-ed and crossed his arms. "What crawled up his pant leg and bit him in the ass?" He grumbled, taking a big gulp of his own coffee. Elizaveta sighed and Roderich looked away, rubbing calming circles on the back of his wife's hand with his thumb. But almost as soon as it came, the awkwardness was gone as Alfred picked up with speaking once again- about how cold it was, about the recent Presidential election, about anything that came to his mind, which was usual for the barely-legal man.
It was going to be a long Holiday season with everyone together, as always.
Woah! Info!
As mentioned before, this takes place after World War III, which I'm placing about 20-40 years from now. The whole thing is about a group of 20-somethings whom were all a part of a super-elite military team known as The Nations, sent from all of the countries making up the Allied Forces of the war, all specializing in different things.
They were captured by the "bad guys" and tortured, all becoming disabled in one way or another. At the time, it may be hard to figure out what each disabilty is (though two should be obvious). Cookies to anyone who can figure out all three. w
Well, thank you very much for reading. It would be very kind of you to review if you enjoyed it.
~Chibi Chibi Sami
Oh!
Ich Liebe Dich- I love you (German. My Austria/Hungary doujinshi taught me that XD)
Szeretlek- I love you (Hungarian. Yeah, I had to google that one)
Szerelem- Love (Hungarian)