The Last Reunion
By: Insanity's Pen
A/N: Merry late Christmas! Originally I had intended to give this to you guys as a gift, but seeing as how I got sick and then the holiday party well…yeah, so here it is! Happy holidays!
Sunlight poured in from the window and lit up the room in a soft orange glow. Prussia lay in his bed, too comfortable to move from the warmth of the thick duvet. Upstairs he could hear the voices of two nations arguing over what to have for breakfast. A small contented smile spread across his face, but it was short lived as a piercing pain shot through his shoulder. With a grunt he stood and made his way to the bathroom to start on his morning routine.
Steam clouded his vision as he stepped out from the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist, grabbing a spare one to dry his hair. He stood in front of the fogged mirror and wiped at the steam with his hand. He supported himself against the sink as he leaned forward to stare at the person in the glass.
The person in the mirror was almost a stranger to him, had it not been for the characteristics of an albino. Ever pale skin was more ghostly white than usual and taught over jutting bones, giving off the illusion that the paper-thin skin would tear any moment. Silver hair had lost its luster, instead looking more like the ash of a cigarette. Once shining red eyes looked dull and tired, accentuated with dark circles. The ever-present smirk that always seemed to adorn his face was nowhere in sight, seemingly gone forever.
Prussia sighed. Had he changed so much already? His body shook from strain as he gripped the edges of the sink tighter. Suddenly, a sharp twisting in his gut had him emptying his stomach into the sink. The vile scent of vomit and blood made him want to gag once more, but he braved through it as he washed the mess away. With blurry eyes he watched as red tinted water swirled down the drain, making everything seem more real than he'd like to believe.
After brushing his teeth again and getting dressed for the day, Prussia made his way upstairs where it was surprisingly quiet. Germany, who was sitting on the couch drinking coffee, looked up from his newspaper when Prussia entered the room, a confused look upon his face.
"He went to buy food. We hadn't realized we didn't have anything we could use for breakfast and he insisted on going by himself." He explained before Prussia could ask. Prussia nodded in acknowledgment. "There's more coffee in the kitchen."
After returning with a mug steaming black coffee, Prussia made himself comfortable on the recliner by putting his feet up on the coffee table. Germany gripped the edges of his newspaper and bit back the urge to scold his brother.
"What's wrong West? You seem tense." Prussia teased, a playful smirk on his lips.
"Nothing is…." Germany trailed off, the image of the invitation flashing through his mind. Germany cleared his throat before asking, "H-how are you, bruder?"
Prussia was slightly taken aback by the sudden question, but answered nonetheless.
"I've been better." He didn't want to go into it any further. Germany seemed satisfied with the answer and nodded.
"Any wild plans today?"
"Yes, actually. I'm going out with France and Spain tonight."
"Good, good." An awkward silence filled the room as both brothers searched for something to say.
"Prussia, about the dinner party…I'll help you out with it." Prussia almost spit out his coffee.
"Really?" he asked incredulously at the fact that his brother was willing offering to spend money for a party. Prussia had planned to do all of this by himself.
"Yes, really." Germany looked away, a small flush on his cheeks.
"Well, uh, danke."
"You're welcome." Germany met Prussia's eyes. Another long silence settled over them as their gazes held. Somewhere in the backs of their minds they registered the low timbre of the old grandfather clock striking nine o' clock.
Everything happened quickly then. One mug of lukewarm coffee was hastily set aside while the other was knocked out of the holder's grasp on the impact of a heavy body clashing with another. A shuddering cry resounded throughout the room and saltwater tears streamed freely as two bodies were thrown unceremoniously to the floor.
The two brothers sat on the floor in an ungraceful pile as they hugged each other and cried like children. They're tears mixed together as did their cries of sadness. Germany would never openly admit it, but he was the one who cried the loudest. Prussia made no effort to stop the tears as he clutched his little brother closer to his chest and rubbed his back in attempt to soothe him. No words were exchanged, just tears. Prussia concentrated on committing this to memory, the feel of his brother's arms around him, the softness of his hair, the muscular torso. He had truly grown up. He smiled out of pride through his tears.
Time had seemed to slow down considerably around them as they let out their sorrow until they were just a hiccupping mess, spilled coffee forgotten. They didn't notice when Italy had walked in, arms full of groceries, and gazed at them with a sad, knowing smile before disappearing into the kitchen.
