CHAPITRE II: When in Rome...

When Ludwig got home, he groaned. Gilbert had gotten there before him, as the room was a complete disaster. It was a wonder that the building wasn't in flames or people sleeping on his floors, which could've also been littered with beer cans and food wrappers.

He closed the door behind him, putting out the butt of his cigarette in an ashtray on the hallway table as he walked by, immediately going straight to his brother's room. The German opened the door with an angry slam and saw his brother half-lying on his bed, his arms and head on the floor.

Sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose, he crossed the room, kicking the beer cans out of his path, and lifted Gilbert over his shoulder, bringing him downstairs and into his car.

"Hey, it's me. Gilbert god home before me, soh is id alrighd if I come ofer now?" he asked, picking up the phone and calling Austria as soon as he closed the door behind his brother.

"Sure, go ahead. I've already set up his bed, so you can bring him straight there."

"Danke schön. Alrighd, see you soon. Auf Weiderhoren," and with that, he hung up.

The drive there was fairly quick, and he arrived at the Austrian's house no sooner than 20 minutes. Ludwig hauled his Prussian brother over his shoulder and made his way to the front door where Roderich was already waiting with a frown.

"He's drunk?"

"Vas. I doubt he'll vake up anytime soon, so you shouldn't heff any trouble," the German said over his shoulder as he hefted Gilbert into the house, dumping him unceremoniously onto the couch.

"Ludwig?" a female voice called from the kitchen.

"Elizaveta?"

A woman emerged and stood in the doorway, her long, wavy, brown hair held beneath a white napkin, her apron and green dress dusty with flour.

"Oh, Ludwig!" the woman cried, rushing into his arms to embrace him. "Oh, how wonderful! I was hoping to see you soon, but this soon? You have so much to tell me! Oh, I have a lot to tell you, too!"

"Ja, ja, Elizaveta," Ludwig chuckled at the Hungarian's enthusiasm. The last time they'd seen one another were better times, for sure.

"Elizabeta, would you bring the beer that you brought for him? I already told him about it," Roderich said, crossing the room to his desk to pull out papers. "Ludwig, here are some of those documents I promised you last time. I was unsure if you were going to win, so I left them here for safe keeping just in case."

The blonde took the papers, hardly casting a glance at the scrawled letters, and stuffed them in the inside of his jacket. "Danke."

"Here you are, Ludwig!" Elizabeta said, carting the crate of German beer into Ludwig's arms.

"Ah, I can already smell dem. Danke, Elizaveta."

"So how long can you stay this time?"

"Noht long, I'm afraid," Ludwig said, shifting the crate to one arm. "I heff some business to take care ohf."

Roderich considered him a moment before nodding. "I see."

"That's too bad," Elizabeta said, disheartened. She noticed the exchange between the two and said nothing.

A snort came from the couch. Elizabeta groaned.

"Please don't tell me that's who I think it is."

Ludwig smiled knowingly. "I'm afraid id is."

"Well, damn. I thought it would've been longer. Roddy, how could you have lost?"

"Well, it wasn't easy, Elizabeta."

"Oh, don't you 'it wasn't easy, Elizabeta' me! You said that the last time I was here, and you lost then, too! Oh, what a terrible time to get time off! Damn, I'm going to hide. You are going to deal with that!"

"You are not going to leave! I refuse to be stuck alone with him again! You also did this the last time you were here! It wouldn't be so terrible to have help around here!"

Ludwig chuckled as he exited the house, their voices drifting into nothing. He put the beer in the backseat gently, already smiling at the thoughtfulness of the Hungarian. He moved to the driver's seat, shutting the door. Ludwig started the car and headed home.

Arriving in only ten minutes more than his previous trip, he parked in the driveway. Ludwig sat a moment, taking a breath, then reached for the note Roderich had given him.

Scanning it, he crumpled the paper in a clenched fist. Why hadn't Roderich told him this at the house?

He ran inside.

A/N: I'm actually submitting all three chapters I have so far in class now, so…Disregard the last authour's note, because I had started this in June. ACK.