Notes: Leave it to Germany to pass Lovino's 'father' test and not realize it, that goof
"Did you hear?"
Germany glanced up slightly, regarding Italy before him just over the rim of his glasses. The other grinned and plopped down onto the couch beside him just a tad rougher than the German would have liked and was rewarded with a slight frown. He sighed lightly and folded up the newspaper, knowing very well he wouldn't be learning anymore of the spotting of a certain drunken streaking albino.
Pleased to have the German's full attention (let's be honest, when didn't he?), Italy wiggled a bit closer to Ludwig; a task that had once been far easier when there wasn't a third that made him out to be a fairly plump mother-to-be. He silently blamed the pasta in a streak of one of his more defiant moods, only to be found by Ludwig moments later profusely apologizing to the bowl of left-over's.
"Big brother Spain called a little bit ago, asking if he could bring Alfonzo over. Ve~" there was a big grin over the Italian's face and Germany instantly understood. "Isn't it great? We're gonna be uncles again!" Grinning ear to ear, he leaned over to kiss the German before him.
Ludwig laughed, a deep-chest sound, as the simple kiss turned from playful to a manner quite serious for the loving Italian in a matter of moments. Leave it to Feliciano to think now of all times was the best to quell raging hormones.
"Feli, now…might not be your best moment," Ludwig had to bite back a laugh at the whine as the affectionate kisses turned into pouty nuzzles at his neck. The door bell sounding through the house however was all it took for Italy to do a 360 attitude change.
He shot up to answer faster than any pregnant being should have been able to in their third-trimester and raced off towards the door. Ludwig shook his head lightly, placing the paper down on the table beside him as he too rose to go follow his energetic Italian. A brief moment of pause was all he took to glance at his cramping book shelves, dusting over the books that Berwald had graciously let him months ago.
On his way to follow the Italian, Germany was greeted with a bawling child crashing into his shins and clinging. He blinked down in confusion, watching the curly locks of his nephew try to become one with his pajama pants.
"Alfonzo? What's the matter, neffe?" Kneeling, he cupped his hands over the small child's shoulders. He could barely hear the car leaving their gravel turn-around over the cries. "Why are you crying?
Sniffling loudly, the miniature Spain raised his hands in a hurry to scrub at his cheeks. He always wanted to look tough before his big German uncle; he had overheard momma one night telling papa that men don't cry and was dead-set to prove himself. Yet when he opened his mouth, a wail escaped him and the little boy cried harder knowing he was doomed to tears.
"Ma-mama w-was" there was a brief pause in his whimpers when he hiccupped. "Mama was in pa-pain! And I co-couldn't….Couldn't he-heeeelp!" He brought into another series of wails that struck a slight panic into Germany.
Italy soon turned the corner to enter the living room, pausing at the door while his frown turned into a small smile. Before him, he watched as his German wrapped his arms around their sobbing nephew with soft (albeit awkward at first) comforting sounds. He came to rest against the door frame, a hand supporting the bambino inside of him; fingers drumming lightly over the mound when he felt it stir against his palm.
"Shh, neffe. It's alright... You're helping more than you know," that certainly peaked Alfonzo's attention as his wails turned down to light whimpers and sniffles. "Especially with you being so brave right now…" Smiling warmly at the child in his arms, Germany tucked him closer towards his chest to which the young boy now clung to desperately. "Your momma needs you to be brave right now. He'll be alright. He's just gone with your Papa to bring your little brother."
"I-Is my hermano ca-causing Mama so mu-much pain?" Alfonzo sniffled, leaning back to look up at the vivid blue eyes of his uncle. "Ma-Mama said that Papa is a pa-pain in the ass…D-Does that mean m-my brother is too?" The young boy's scrunched up lightly. "I don't…. I don't th-think I could love h-him if he's hu-hurting Mama like th-that!"
Feliciano started to laugh as Germany started at the hiccupping child in his arms with a face of bewilderment. "Oh bambino~" the Italian nation cooed, causing Alfonzo to shift and look up at him, then back to Germany in confusion.
By the time Alfonzo's eyes were back on Germany, Ludwig had managed to gather his thoughts again (with a properly highlighted post-it note tapped to the highest priority board of his mental office to talk to Lovino about his Italian temper in front of Alfonzo). A smile was back on his face and he shook his head at the earlier voiced question. "No, no, neffe. Your brother isn't like that at all. Your momma's body is just getting ready to let him out." Oh lord, I don't need to be explaining babies this late at night, Germany thought with a light twitch to his eye.
He suddenly stood, hoping to distract the child from further questioning in the one way he knew how. "How about we go read a story, then you can sleep with your Onkel and I?"
That worked, thank god, and the toddler gasped and began to nod with renewed enthusiasm. Germany held a hand out to Italy, the smaller nation smiling as he took his husband's hand to trot off to their bedroom with a promising night of original Grimm fairy tales that Ludwig had carried down from his own (occasionally fatherly-figure) brother.