AN: A little late for Christmas. I'm new at writting, so please leave a review. Any criticism will help me improve. By the way, my native language is not English so forgive me for any mistake I might have committed.
You will be home before the leaves fall from the trees.
The words resounded bitterly in Germany's head while he walked through the deserted battlefield, stepping over several leaves that had fallen from the nearby trees. Those trees, once green and full of live, now were gray and naked, all their leaves lying forgotten in the ground. He couldn't help but notice the similarity of that with the soldiers who once marched with joy and excitement to the front and now laid either forgotten in the fields or in the trenches.
The war of movement was over. The German advance, just short of reaching Paris, had been halted by the French. Germany had to admire the courage of his old enemy. It was clear that this new war wasn't going to be like the Franco-Prussian War, but the generals and politicians of the high command were still in denial about that. They genuinely believed that the war could be won by Christmas, and the great victories of Tannenberg and the Massurian Lakes against Russia seemed to only reinforce that hope.
However, things weren't going so smoothly in the Western Front. The British Expeditionary Force had landed after Germany refused to respect Belgium's neutrality. Belgium herself had managed to put on a formidable resistance, stopping the Schlieffen plan and giving France enough time to prepare himself for the Battle of the Marme, which was ultimately a French victory.
From that moment on the war changed. The old generals had experience moving troops through the world and combating the "uncivilized" people of Africa and Asia in their attempt to "bring civilization to the Dark corners of the world". But they were utterly unprepared to face another country with modern technology, with artillery, mortars, machine guns and enough men to fill trenches from Switzerland to the English Channel.
Trench Warfare had started. Belgium had managed to flee with her king behind the British lines and any attempt to follow her or capture the little corner of Belgium not under German control had just resulted in the wasteful battles of Ypres. In the meantime France and England had set their own lines of trenches.
It was now 25th December, 1914. Christmas Day, and yet the troops weren't going home any time soon.
Germany was just walking in no-man's land. The leaves creaked under his boots while the snow fell on him. The weather was cold and unforgiving. Germany thought of Christmas, of the celebrations back home, of his family and friends. Prussia was still fighting Russia, while Austria and Hungary were doing their best against both Russia and Serbia. Germany's thoughts were interrupted by the sudden appearance of another man.
"You" Germany said, quickly raising his gun.
"Wait Germany!" England said, holding his arms up to show he wasn't a threat. "I haven't come here to fight with you."
This took Germany by surprise. Could it be a peace offer? No, a peace offer could only be handled by their diplomats.
"Have you heard about the temporary truces our soldier have been having?" England asked, his arms still up in the air.
Sure, he had heard the reports of soldiers arranging meetings, exchanging greeting and even gifts. His high command had of course condemned that insubordination, and he thought that the British leadership had done the same.
"Yes, I've heard of them. Are you here to ask me to take measures? If so, I assure you, we're doing everything we can…" Germany started, but immediately stopped when he saw England reaching behind himself.
"Don't worry" England said with a roll of his eyes, apparently not minding that Germany's gun was pointed at his head again. He then showed what he had reached for: a soccer ball. Germany's face must have betrayed his confusion, because England smirked.
"I just thought that we could, perhaps, have a truce as well" he started "several of my soldiers have been fraternizing with yours, and I, well, thought that maybe we shouldn't fight in this day".
Germany frowned, keeping his gaze on England's hands "Don't be ridiculous. We're enemies". England mimicked his action with his old Gentleman's eyebrows "Are we, Germany? I'd said that our governments are enemies, not us. Well, I wouldn't say we're friends either, but at least we are, or were in civil terms before this whole mess started".
"Look England, even if I wanted a truce with you, I would be going against my bosses, and I assume you're going against yours as well" Germany replied, suppressing a smirk of satisfaction when he saw England twitching, confirming that he was right.
"Germany… it's Christmas, a day supposed to be shared with family and friends. And yet here we are, in the middle of nowhere far away from our homes. Could we at least spend this day if not fraternizing at least not fighting? The war will probably continue. You and I know that, no matter how deluded our bosses are"
Germany didn't say anything. Not even his facial expression changed. England decided to continue. "We've already lost over one millon men…"
"They died fighting. That's an honorable death" Germany snapped. England just chuckled humorlessly "Of course, they died for the fatherland. But Germany, just stop to think for a moment, just stop to think for yourself instead of just repeating what your generals say, will you?" Again, Germany said nothing. "Now, tell me, those deaths pain you, right? I know they pain me."
Germany just lowered his head, just a little. England was surprised that he was willing to express his feelings, even if not directly. The war must have been taking its toll. He continued "Those men… no, not men, boys. Their entire lives were ahead of them, yet they won't be able to live them. It pains and sickens me that our bosses only see them as statistics, as dots in a map in which they draw arrows, all in their attempt to gain glory". A silent hum of… agreement? Perhaps, but it could also have been an attempt of berating him.
"Christmas is supposed to be a time of love and friendship, not of pain and suffering. Come on Germany, just this time." England continued, signaling to his football and doing his best attempt at a smile.
"Just this time" Germany said, and dropped his gun in the snow.
Both nations would then play football together, not as enemies in a temporary truce, but as friends in a conflict they hoped would be temporary. Amongst the fighting thousands of soldiers abandoned their posts to fraternize with their fellow soldiers, forgetting for a while that they're enemies and remembering that they're human beings as well. A little show of hope, peace and humanity in the middle of the worst conflict the world had seen up to that point. Perhaps, both Germany and England thought, the war would be over soon just like the politicians and generals had promised. Perhaps the suffering would be over soon as well, and no more boys would have to throw themselves to machine guns. Perhaps everybody would simply stop and join together, as brothers.
But perhaps not. At the end of the day Germany and England said their goodbyes to each other. Germany had won the match, and both nations were happy. Not that they showed it, of course, but the encounter had showed them that hope was still there. It had showed them that the enemy wasn't a monster but another person with hopes, dreams and people who love them. Nevertheless, the encounter was still bittersweet, since both knew they would be back at the battlefield very soon, facing each other and sending countless young men to their death. That would only continue, because the war had no end in sight.
The leaves had fallen from the trees, but Germany and England weren't at home yet.