In a village house near France.
"Mon Dieu, the weather has been particularly bad this week." Putting his glass of wine down, Francis looked over to Antonio who had his eyes locked on the rain that kept pouring down the window. His eyes were dim, not like the happy-go-lucky Spaniard at all, something was wrong. "Allo! Earth to Antonio!" Francis yelled abruptly, snapping Antonio back into reality, looking over to his friend. "Oh Francis...I'm sorry, you how the weather gets me…" His voice has a strain, and Francis wanted to get to the bottom of it. "Alright mon ami, what has gotten into you? Has Romano yelled at you again?" He said jokingly, but he knew there was something troubling him. "You know I won't stop pestering you until you tell me." He stood up from his seat as he walked over to his friend, sitting next to him watching the rain trickle down from the windows. "You know…I remember the last time it rained like this…" Antonio finally spoke, his emerald eyes glistening with sadness. Francis looked directly at him, a frown set upon his lips. "I remember." A thought came across his head "Come on, let's go out" Antonio looked at him confusingly while Francis stood up, grabbing two umbrellas. "Go where? It's raining everywhere." A frown stuck on him yet a smile came up from the other. "We're going to see an old friend."
Back in 1947
"Aww, it's raining and I really wanted to go outside and tend to my garden." Antonio pouted looking over to Francis who was reading a romantic novel. "Oye Francis what can we do now?" The Frenchman looked over him making a coy smirk, "Well Antonio if you're that bored we can spend some time near the fireplace getting to know each other, no?" Antonio looked away making a small sigh. "Forget I asked." A loud chirping noise was being made from afar; they both knew the sound all too familiar. It was Gilbird coming to deliver a message. "Gilbird!" Antonio smiled with glee, opening the window and letting the water soaked bird inside, the message was water as the letters dripped down in ink but it was still legible enough for them to read it. Francis stood next to Antonio as their eyes locked on the message.
"Hello losers it is I the great Prussia sending you a letter about my awesomeness!" Typical. "Now the real reason why I'm sending you guys this letter is because well...we had a lot of great moments together, a lot of unforgettable times. I wish we can have more fun but sadly it is time for me to go. I know you guys will miss me but I am not needed anymore; there is no place for me. West will handle everything and I'll be going to a better place that you losers will get jealous of me! As the awesome Prussia, I will miss you guys and our fun group. You will always be my best friends."
Pause. Silence. Running.
Peace and quiet, just the way Ludwig liked it. He sipped some beer as he watched the rain hit the grass, staying silent the whole time. BANG. The door crashed open with two soaked countries panting and breathing heavily. Ludwig stared at him with a blank look on his face. He knew why they were here. "Where is he?!" Francis became the first to speak as Spain had a melancholy look on his face, trying to disbelieve everything he had read. "This is a joke right?! This is another one of his jokes!" Francis yelled, being in the same stage of denial as Antonio was. But the look on Ludwig's face said it all. As one of them became silent, the other decided to speak. "He's not gone…" Antonio said with a forced smile on his face. Misery appeared on his eyes. "He's not gone! Gilbert is too great for this….he…can't leave…" His words choked up inside his throat as tears started to form in his eyes. Ludwig bit his lip, gazing away from the two. "Ja…it's true…he's not here anymore…he…disappeared…" Both their eyes widened, trembling from shock. "The country became a whole and they decided that one of us was suitable for this. They didn't need him…" "NO!" Spain yelled abruptly
"WE NEED HIM! HE'S ALWAYS THERE FOR US MAKING US SMILE AND LAUGH! DON'T TELL US THAT HE'S NOT NEEDED BECAUSE HE IS, FRANCIS NEEDS HIM, I NEED HIM, AND YOU NEED HIM!"
"DON'T YOU THINK I DON'T KNOW THAT?! OF COURSE I DO! I DIDN'T INTEND THIS TO HAPPEN BUT HE JUST LAUGHED AND SAID IT WAS ALRIGHT. SUDDENLY HE WAS….gone…." His words hit him like a truck. He didn't want to believe it either. "He was my own bruder and they took him away from me…"
Antonio had a sharp pain in his chest, eventually snapping. "He can't leave…" Ludwig glared at him "He left." "No…" "Yes…he left; there is nothing we can do about this." Suddenly a punch was thrown at Ludwig, Antonio glared at him coldly, putting his fist back. Francis grabbed his shoulders, tears running down his eyes. "Stop it Toni! He's right, there's nothing we can do!" Tears kept falling down from both their eyes. Antonio put his hands on his head, grabbing and pulling his hair. "No…..no….NO!" He ran up to Gilbert's room. Francis looked at Ludwig with apologetic eyes, about to run after Antonio until he was stopped by the German. "Let him go, he needs to come to terms to this." Ludwig had stoic look planted on his face, trying to force it upon himself. Yet deep down inside, he wishes that is him who left. Opening the door, everything was empty, only a well-made bed, a wooden trunk and some furniture. It didn't scream Gilbert; it didn't have posters or his guitars, not even his clothes. Antonio stared at the room recalling nothing from it. He stared at the trunk, running to it, hoping it would have something, at least one thing that represented his friend. He opened the trunk. Empty. Tears kept falling from his face, punching the front of the trunk leaving a scuff on it.
"This can't be happening…it just can't, just yesterday you were helping me with my garden helping me how to be on better terms with Romano. You can't leave me just yet, I need you Gilbert, Francis needs you too. A-And so does Austria, and even Hungary, your brother especially needs you. Please don't leave…please don't leave"
Tears soaking his face, a hand rested on his shoulder, he glanced up to see Gilbert grinning at him as usual. "Kesesese! I had you fooled didn't I? But the awesome me always knew how to play an awesome joke!" Rubbing his eyes, a smiled planted on Antonio's face, laughing along with Gilbert. "But really Toni, I do have to go…I'm sorry I couldn't tell you this in person but I couldn't bear looking at you two, West was already grief stricken enough." Antonio tried to hold onto him for dear life, he couldn't let him go. Not yet. "Please don't leave Gil, you're my best friend, we've been through so much together." A frown came down, leaning down to him "Toni, no matter what, I'll always be here. I came back to tell you goodbye to you. Take care of Francis; he'll get in a lot of trouble. And take care of yourself, a happy guy like you can't be sad." He nodded, wiping the tears from his eyes "You'll always stay in my heart." "Hey hey let's not get sappy here." A smirked planted on his lips, slowly evaporating from Antonio. Goodbye old friend. "NO! PLEASE DON'T LEAVE!" Balling his hands into a fist, his head gazing onto the floor, he felt the room spinning.
A gentle hand placed on his shoulder, Antonio looked up with hope, hoping to see Gilbert again. "Gil-? Oh...Francis…" Francis made a gentle smile at him, pulling Antonio into a hug. It seemed like the only thing he can do at this moment. He couldn't hold back, he sobbed into the other's arms as the other cried quietly trying to be the strong one out the two. Nothing was said. Only tears.
Present Day
The two black umbrellas covering the countries as they sat down on a red cloth, eating some sausages and drinking beer, they chuckled as they talked about current events in their lives. "Well Arthur is boasting about how the royal wedding was the most important thing to happen since sliced bread." Antonio covered his mouth, snickering quietly, looking up at the sky. "The rain is letting up" A ray of light set down on them, letting them put the umbrellas down on the grass. They looked forward, having a smile full of joy but sorrow at the same time. "We missed you old friend. It's been awhile since we visited you. It's our fault." Francis nodded apologetically, looking at Antonio who remained silent the whole time. "I..uh..I…we miss you a lot; Austria and Ludwig are still being their stuffy and grouchy selves. Hungary mentions you from time to time. I really think she did have a thing for you man." They both chuckled loudly before looking at the gravestone. "Don't worry; we'll always stick by each other."
Gilbert Beilschmidt.
Formerly Prussia.
An awesome friend. An awesome person.
