Author's Note: I got this chapter out as quick as I could! Thank you for reviewing everyone who did, it makes me so happy that you take the time to write one.
Sorry for the late updates! *bows* Please forgive me!
Another lyric-less chapter but with an amazing song I discovered. It's been hard trying to find the right song.
Note: So there is no confusion, Belvender is an Italian boy name.
Translations:
Bitte aufwachen! - Please wake up!
Il paese è in una depressione, Miss Vargas, e Sardegna si ha sostenuto tutto questo tempo. - Your country is in a depression, Miss Vargas, and Sardinia has been supporting you this whole time.
Per favore, non lo fanno! Che cosa vuoi da me? - Please, don't do it! What do you want from me?
Spalla a piangere su - A shoulder to cry on
Mi dispiace tanto! Io non stavo facendo attenzione! - I am so sorry! I was not paying attention!
Mi pequeña flor - My little flower
~ Losing You To You by Hammock ~
The sweet smell of Ludwig wisps around my nose, making me warm all over, and the gentleness of his arms cradles me into sleep. I feel the swaying of his movements but my eyes dare not to open. The words that can describe the way I feel are pure bliss and utter heaven to be in his arms. The anxiety of this night disappears with his touch and nothing seems to faze me. Is it love? It's too early to think about that, but it's so hard not to.
I tug him closer to me when I feel him move away but let go when he whispers German to me. How soothing his voice is in his native tongue is amazing. I grab the nearest object and curl around it as the world closes in on me. Yet the warmth of him, the protection of his arms doesn't guard me from the oncoming nightmare.
His eyes taunt me, his hands bruise me, and his fingers make me bleed. He whispers Italian all over my body as he is slashing away at my skin, blood pouring down my arms and legs. I don't feel pleasure in his touches, I feel disgust and fear. He tortures me and burns me with every single movement he makes. I writhe and buck against him, trying to get away.
"Vani, Bitte aufwachen!" My eyes flash open and I hurl myself into the arms of my German. Sobs clatter inside my chest and tremors rumble throughout my body. I clutch his sides as he slowly moves back and forth, murmuring soft things in my ear. A voice whimpers in the background and another grumbles. Receding footstep are followed and I look up at Ludwig.
"I'm so sorry." I whisper and his sad baby blue eyes strike a chord in my heart. He leans down to press his lips against my forehead and I slowly breathe to calm myself down.
"Ludwig, he tried to r-ra-p-p-"
"I understand." His arms tighten around me and then he whispers, "I'm sorry I vasn't able to protect you."
"No! Don't think that way." I look up at him to meet his eyes again. "You did protect me from getting hurt."
"But I didn't protect you from him." He says softly and I take his face in my hands.
"Ludwig, you did what you could." I lean forward and press my lips against his. A gentle sigh escapes his chest and his kisses back. His lips brushing and pressing with mine, touching in sweet movement. My hands move from his face to run through his slicked back hair which is now ruined from my fingers, but he doesn't seem to mind. He deepens the kiss when I let my tongue flick his lower lip and a soft moan escapes from me. The taste of him is indescribable; it's neither sweet nor spicy. We stay like this for a couple of minutes before he pulls away with a flushed face and pushes some stray hair from my own.
"Your brothers are very vorried about you." He murmurs and I groan.
"I don't want to talk to them Luddy..." I mumble. "Please, just hold me."
He sighs and cradles me closer to him. My ear presses against his chest to hear the inner workings of this gentle giant. The deep, slow beating of his heart almost lulls me to sleep along with his hand stroking my head. He hums so quietly that even though I am right on him I have to strain to hear it.
"What is the song called?" I ask, my voice barely over a whisper.
"It does not have a name. My grandfather used to sing it to Gilbert and I." He explains.
"Your grandpa? You mean Germania?" I move back to look at him and he nods.
"My grandpa told me about him. He said that his grandson looked very similar to him. I was a child back then and it did not make sense to me until now." I smile and he returns it with gentleness.
After a pause, I pull away and straighten my dress. Sighing, I take Ludwig's hand and exit my room.
I swear my ears are bleeding already from Romano's scolding.
-The next morning-
Since I am staying a bit longer in Italy, my boss had called me for a conference with him. I had made sure I looked as modest and proper as possible because he is an old man with opinions made from old ways. Belvender, my boss, is even handsome now as an older man with his jet black hair and bright eyes. He used to have so many scandals follow him around; all of them were about him having an affair with a woman.
Entering his office, I silently close his door and look up at not just one man but two. My eyes widen at the German's piercing glare and the older Italian's stern stare.
"Ciao, Guten tag." I say to both men and earn equal acknowledgment.
"You must be wondering why I have you and Germany's boss here." His bright cerulean eyes gaze between the man and I. "I am discussing your relationship with Ludwig with him and now with you. In fact, I was about to tell him about your unsigned divorce papers with Dante."
"I must inform you that last night I was almost r-ra- raped by-" I fight back the tears yet the pain tore at my spine. His dark eyes stare down at the paperwork in front of him before looking up at me.
"I already know that." He says flatly and answers my question by saying, "I have people to tell me."
I scowl at that but hold my tongue at the thought of him watching my actions. "Then why didn't your people help me?"
"That is not what I needed to discuss. We are here for the papers and about your relationship." He frowns as he cracks his skeleton hands.
I stay silent and he continues, "You and your marriage to the Sardinian nation isn't over. Yet you are dating Mr. Beilschmidt."
"I know that. I sent you the divorce papers a long time ago and Sardinia told me that he didn't sign them. Why is that?"
He smiles at that, but it's a smile that scares me. Before he answers me, he gestures for the German to leave. When he's gone, my boss says, "I need to uphold the treaty with that island, Ms. Vargas. You can't afford the divorce and you know it."
"Yes, I can." I grind my teeth together and glare at him.
"No, you cannot. Il paese è in una depressione, Miss Vargas, e Sardegna si ha sostenuto tutto questo tempo." He sighs as he lifts a paper from the stack and takes out a lighter.
"No! Per favore, non lo fanno! Che cosa vuoi da me?" I ask frantically.
"Keep your marriage with Sardinia and you can continue dating Germany." He says simply.
"B-but Sardinia tried to-"
"I don't care Sicilia." He grumbles. "It's the only way your country can remain stable because without him, you'd be dead."
The silence that falls upon us is deadly and the tension is so tight, I feel it getting to my muscles. My fists clench and I whirl around to walk to the door. Before I can open it, he speaks up.
"If he doesn't satisfy you, you can come to me for a... spalla a piangere su." He says lowly and I slam the door behind me. Damn him for all that he's worth! How dare he do this to me?
I make my way outside and walk down the cobblestone street as people sing. Once again, stress seems to close at my throat and the noises around me just pound at my head. Quickly, I run past the people trying to find a quiet place, but the crowd gets thicker and my anxiety heightens.
I crash right into a tall man and fall back with a cry.
"Mi dispiace tanto! Io non stavo facendo attenzione!" His deep voice rumbles with a certain familiarity and I look up to see none other than Antonio. I quickly scramble forward to hug him tightly, and he chuckles.
"Mi pequeña flor, I missed you too but what's the matter?" He asks after pulling me to the sidewalk and away from the mob of people.
"A lot of stuff, I would like to talk about it but somewhere else, if you don't mind." I say.
"It's alright with me." He smiles brightly.
~:~
Just want to thank Awen Sofer for beta reading this! THANK YOU SO MUCH :D
I hope you enjoyed this new chapter and please review?
