Belle stirred, sitting up slowly. She stiffened when she realized she was in someone's house, remembering the events that occurred before she had passed out.
She scanned the room and realized she was lying on a couch in a sitting area. The house was much simpler than the mansion she had been in previously, tidy yet homey. She sat up and looked into a kitchen area at the sound of footsteps.
The German man appeared, two mugs in his hands.
"Coffee?"
"Yes please. Thank you."
He sat the mug down in front of her, disappeared back into the kitchen and returned with a cream pitcher, a sugar bowl, and two freshly baked cakes. He sipped his coffee black as he watched her mix hers into something more cream than coffee. When she looked up at him he gestured to the slice of cake he had set in front of her.
She took a small bite of the dense cake, smiling broadly. "It's delicious! Did you make this?"
He didn't answer her verbally, but the slight blush that dusted his cheeks gave her the answer.
"What is it?"
"German apple cake."
"I like it."
They finished their slices and sat in awkward silence. Belle finally cleared her throat and spoke.
"So, you have a house in France? Are you a businessman? Or a diplomat?"
"I don't have a home in France."
"Then who-"
"We are in my home in Germany."
Belle chocked on her coffee, the beverage sputtering in her nostrils.
"H-How long was I out?!"
"A few hours."
"How did I get to Germany?!"
"I brought you here, since you were unconscious."
She looked at him in disbelief as he spoke bluntly to her. How had he managed to transport her from France to Germany so easily? Who was this man?
"Who…who are you?"
He stared at her for a moment.
"Germany."
"Wait…what?"
"I'm Germany."
She took a moment to wrap her mind around the fact that she was sitting the living room of and having coffee with one of the Countries.
"S-S-So those other guys were Countries too?!"
He nodded. When she didn't say anything he spoke.
"You were going to Paris?"
"Yes…"
"I'll have my driver take you to the airport when you are ready. Your luggage is there."
He gestured beside the couch where her things were. She sighed and reached into her jacket, feeling in an inner pocket. After a few moments of this she began panicking.
"It's gone!"
"What's gone?"
"My passport! It's gone!"
She tore her coat off, searching through it frantically. Then she searched her bags, finally hanging her head in defeat.
"I can't believe it…I guess I need to go to the Embassy…or wherever…"
Her shoulders drooped, her face twisted into an expression of self-directed anger and disbelief. Germany watched her for a moment.
"I'll arrange-"
She looked up at him almost pouty, her full bottom lip sticking out slightly and her eyes filled with sadness. The face was obviously unintentional; she was genuinely upset with herself. Germany felt his face heat up and his words falter awkwardly, his mouth forming sentences before his mind could process what they were.
"I'll take you on your tour; you won't need a passport with me."
They both looked equally surprised at the statement and he wondered idly what had made him say that. After all, he could have just contacted a few people and had her passport replaced. The foreign woman made his head cloudy.
"R-Really? Is that ok? I mean, I don't want to inconvenience you…You're a Country, don't you have responsibilities to attend to?"
He did, but right now the world was fairly quiet. Germany wasn't having any major problems, and in truth he hadn't had anything to do in weeks. He hadn't heard from his boss in a while either.
That and he had just made an offer. It would be rude and against his moral rules to deny her the opportunity now.
"It's fine. We can leave now if you want; it's very early in the morning."
Belle's eyes lit up and she nodded, trying to contain her excitement. She waited while Germany retrieved a small shoulder bag, grabbing her things as they headed out the door.