Worlds Apart

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia or its characters. They belong to Himaruya Hidekaz.

Author's Note: This fic references real life events and has to do with current events. If you don't want to read something like that, please click the back button to exit the fic.

Germany resisted the urge to bury his head in his hands, though it was certainly a tempting idea. He had been feeling increasingly stressed over the past months, but he had been dealing with it by losing himself in his work. Whenever he finished his work early, he found a new book to read, usually of the instruction manual variety. Though the pattern of work and reading had alleviated his growing feelings of disquiet for a time, he found it working less and less. It was becoming a constant source of frustration for him.

He placated himself by knowing it wasn't just him feeling this way. All the other nations on his continent seemed to be facing similar strain and tempers were running high. This made their meetings, which were never all that easy in the recent years, almost impossible to get through. In addition, Germany was quite aware that it wasn't just him or his fellow European nations that were feeling anxious and unhappy. Indeed, they could count themselves lucky at this point that things weren't worse as there were very few nations in the world doing well right now.

The idea that the world was collapsing around him was hard to ignore, particularly since it had recently become a source of Europe's pain. Financial struggles throughout the region and endless conflicts in other countries had become sources of strain and unease in Germany, along with his many neighbors.

It would not be so bad if we could see that there will be some kind of end to this soon. Some kind of solution before. . .before it all falls apart.

Germany squeezed his eyes shut, feeling angry at himself for completing that thought. Unfortunately, recently it was becoming harder and harder for him not to think about. There was so much pressure on him and the others that sometimes it felt hard to breathe. The arguments between all of them, particularly the ones between him and France, Britain, Hungary, and Poland, just to name a few, were becoming more heated and no consensus was ever reached. The problems piled up and continued to stretch out without end.

Thank Gott for Italy and Austria right now. Otherwise, I believe I would be going quite mad.

Deciding he was not going to get anymore work done at this rate, Germany decided a long walk might do him some good. Stretching his legs and working with his physical body might alleviate the stresses of his mind—or so he reasoned. Making his way through the halls of the parliament building, Germany's sharp ears caught the end of what seemed to be a heated conversation between some German and European diplomats. Not wanting to hear more of what was likely to be another unpleasant conversation, the tall German man sighed and attempted to hurry away when the content of the conversation made him pause.

"—crisis has become a full blown European crisis," One of the diplomats spat in anger, "but none of them seem remotely interested in the scale of what's happening."

"That's a fair assessment." One of his own diplomats conceded with a sigh. "It seems as if our colleagues across the Atlantic view our plight as a mere mark on a long checklist that will be dealt with at some other time."

Another shook their head with an expression mixed with both sadness and disappointment. "The problem with Washington seems to be not just a tin ear, but a tin heart to match."

Germany's jaw tightened as he marched quickly away, realizing exactly who they were talking about. As he stepped into the cool February air, Ludwig glanced around at bleak, empty gray sky of the afternoon that was strangely reflective of his own mood. He couldn't remember a time since the second world war where he felt so completely alone. The difference was that this time he wasn't want for company, but instead surrounded by his fellow, mostly angry, European nations looking to give him a piece of their mind at every turn. In the cacophony of shouting matches from his typically calm and sometimes reasonable neighbors, he had found the absence of one voice to be unusually quiet. The one voice that had never before had a problem inserting itself into a crisis or trying to push his own solutions to the matter.

America, your silence is deafening. Germany thought to himself with grit teeth.

Typically, whenever America was present at any World Meeting—or really any meeting honestly—Ludwig could only find himself wishing that the youthful, noisy, obnoxious and irritating nation would stop talking. It had been the same wish for most of the other nations present, as far as he could tell. Yet, right now, he couldn't help but find it strange that with so much going wrong all over the place that America had suddenly lost his voice. He had waited, even dreaded at first, for America to show up uninvited to his house offering up some terrible ideas that would never work.

Germany had waited and waited until it finally sunk in that America just wasn't coming.

The odd behavior from the normally nosy and loudmouthed blond had off put him enough to where he had actually taken the time to call England about it. After England told him in plain speak that he had neither heard from the American, nor did he want to waste his valuable time putting up with the boy's fantasies, thank you very much, he had hung up and left Germany feeling more perturbed than before. After all, if England of all people had heard nothing from America, then who had?

None of them, as it would turn out. Germany actually took the time when he saw his fellow nations to ask about it and he always received the same answer. No, they hadn't heard from him. He hadn't visited any of them in a long time. France was the only one who had recently spoken with the younger blond and all the American had done was offer condolences after the most recent tragedy. Though France had appreciated the words, little else had been offered and the pair hadn't really spoken since.

It was a stark contrast from the way things had been after the second world war had ended. When the Iron Curtain had descended and Europe separated into two parts, those left behind were reassured that a certain nation across the Atlantic cared for their well being and was going to help them through this. No matter how many years it took, they were all in this together. Granted, this certain egotistical American could be fairly insufferable and there were times when his presence was resented outright, but, as much as they all hated to admit it, having him around was encouraging.

Which was why the result of the present stretching silence was the germination of another question that wouldn't leave him alone. He had been able to ignore it for a while, but hearing those diplomats speak had reminded him of it once more. At one time in Germany's life, he wouldn't have believed it, but now what choice did he have?

America, don't you care about us anymore?

It was the question that wouldn't leave him alone and one he wasn't likely to get an answer to any time soon. At a time when many nations were willing to shout his ear off, he grimly noted that the one extroverted nation that didn't seem to know the meaning of the word quiet had suddenly figured out how to shut his mouth. Germany didn't pretend that he knew the American all that well, but he was certain that this was very different from any of his previous behavior.

A sudden determination gripped him, one that in other years he might have deemed as crazy. Yet, in its own way, it made sense that he would try to hold on to the one thing he might be able to get a handle on. With nothing at home seeming remotely solvable, he decided to seek the answer to one of his questions on his own. He was going to board a plane and speak with America.