~ 10 ~

Once England had left, Prussia yawned and moved to lean against a tree. His red eyes looked over the park. Children were running around but for the most part, it was a really calm place to be. It had the whole picturesque feel to it and with the sun being out Prussia almost wanted to sit down and have some sort of picnic. Italy would have been ecstatic, Germany reluctant but they both new he'd go along with it anyway.

He looked at the grass and plopped down. He still smelled like sweat and dirt from that morning and England hadn't stopped reminding him about it. Way to sound more like a girl, he'd told him which had earned him a punch to the stomach. Besides, Prussia had reminded him that they'd both had worse. Back in the years when there wasn't any indoor plumbing, being clean was a bitch.

"Hum, mister."

The soft shy voice snapped him from his thoughts and he turned his head to look at a group of small children. They were standing a few feet from him, looking at him curiously and shuffling timidly on their feet. The owner of the voice was a small girl with light brown hair and a freckled face.

Prussia smiled warmly. He liked kids. He'd raised Germany after all and he still remembered when Ita was a small gender confused kid. They were so cute back then. Well, Ita still was but he couldn't say the same for Germany.

"What can I do for you little lady."

She pointed at his head and he gave her a confused look.

"Your birdie," she explained.

Oh. That explained it. Reaching up he took Gilbird from his favorite spot, much to the waking bird's disappointment, and looked at him. To be honest, he hadn't even realized she was sleeping on his head. England would have noticed right? Or maybe they were just both so used to Gilbird being around that it wasn't so strange to see her in his hair?

Whatever it was, the kids were fascinated and were crowding around him to get a better look. Noticing the attention, Gilbird puffed up and flapped her wings. She started singing and took off from his palm to fly around in circles above the heads of the gasping and squealing kids.

Show off.

As he sat back and watched the spectacle with a grin on his face, a smaller girl suddenly appeared in front of him and reached to touch his face. He froze and gaped at her, eyes wide as the girl giggled and petted his hair and ran her hand across his eyes. "You have white hair and red eyes! How did you do that?"

Delicately, he extracted her arm from him and put some distance between them. He looked around almost frantically. Where were these kids' parents? Shouldn't they be keeping a better eye on them or something? But soon a couple of other kids were crowding around him again, realizing for the first time that yes, he did have red eyes and white hair. They also asked him how he'd done that.

"I'm this way naturally!" he cried, hoping that would satisfy them and leave him alone. Gilbird landed back on his head after the excitement the kids had shown for her had died down. "Seriously kids, time to leave me alone."

"You look like my pet bunny!" a boy exclaimed, almost like if he'd been struck by a realization. Some of the girls ooed and agreed with him.

The smaller girl who'd brought this upon him asked, "Are you a bunny in people shape?"

Okay, so not awesome. He did not resemble a bunny in any way, shape or form. Without even realizing it these kids were bruising his pride.

"No! Now listen up kids, I'm not a bunny, I'm German and I'm a human man." Well not really but for all intensive purposes he was. "I've fought in wars and beaten the French, the Hungarians, the Austrians, and a whole list of other countries, I mean, er, uh, people." He took a deep breath when he saw the curious eyes of the children. They were leaning towards him, eyes wide, mouths open, some even jumping on their hunches. They all had the same sparkle in their eyes. He remembered this look from Germany.

Story time.

When England came back, he was monetarily stunned to see a crowd of children around Prussia with some parents standing back with smiles on their face as they watched Prussia play act some scene with great energy and emotion. He looked like a fool, to be honest, but not in a bad way.

For a moment, England thought back to the spring days when he'd sit America down in the grass near the house in Virginia and read to him his favorite fairy tales. Those were the days when America hung on his every word. Now he was all grown up and England felt left behind.

England sighed and found a nice spot to wait near the shade of a tree. It wasn't long before Prussia finished and stood to leave. The protests and whines from the kids made England curious on how the albino would handle this. God knows he remembered the days when America would latch on to him with his massive strength and refuse to let go. It had required special handling to get America release him.

Prussia, it turned out, didn't need to do anything. The parents, taking pity on the man, finally took charge and gently scolded their children about harassing the nice man. Even with the reproach from their parents, it took a while for them to be led away.

Only when Prussia was finally alone did England leave his spot and approach the albino.

"Thanks for helping out," Prussia said, not surprised by England's sudden appearance.

England just shrugged and grinned slyly. "What? The great Prussia can't handle a bunch of children?"

He puffed up his chest in indignation. "Of course! Did you not see my awesome story telling and how I had all of them hanging off of my every word? I'm like their hero now." He poked England's cheek and laughed at the growl. "Ready to head out and eat?"

England thwacked Prussia's head with his umbrella and cackled at Prussia's reaction. "Looks like I found another use for umbrellas."

"Nein. It'll be up your ass if you keep it up Limey."

"Rubbish. You wouldn't even be able to take it from my hand."

They grinned at each other manically before Gilbird decided to intervene before the two started a friendly but violent game of who could punch the hardest.

England coughed and turned his head away to point at some random thing ahead. "Right, This way then." He was quiet for the walk, mostly berating himself about almost starting something with Prussia. In front of the Palace of Westminster! He hadn't felt so eager to brawl in a long time and in a way, it made him excited. That's why when he reached the restaurant he'd selected for their conversation, he was in a much higher mood and Prussia even noticed.

He didn't mention anything though which England was glad for even if he probably already knew why. Instead he commentated on his joy at eating at an Indian restaurant.

"I had some of India's food when I was over at his place practicing the number for the Halloween event. It was awesome, and the girls at his place just kept handing me plate after plate of food." He sighed in bliss. "That was the best month ever. I practiced my ass off but it was all worth it."

That perked England's interest. "A month? Really? And Germany let you?"

Prussia puffed. "Hey, Germany isn't the boss of me. Besides, it's not like I don't have a lot of free time on my hands."

Now England was confused. He politely thanked the water that handed him their menu and turned his attention back to Prussia. "Don't you share responsibilities with Germany?"

"Nein. Germany does everything. I just sort of hang out."

"And, you can go wherever you want for however long you want."

He nodded. "Yeah. France, Spain, Austria's place. India's was the best though. I went sightseeing between practices and watched so many Bollywood movies…" He trailed off there, flushing. "Anyway, I still keep in contact with India but he's a busy guy. His countries getting stronger and he has a lot of things to deal with."

England hummed in agreement with that. "Yes, India is growing stronger every year. I haven't had the chance to speak with him in a long time. Have you decided what you're going to eat yet?"

"Give me a minute."

After they placed their order, England grimacing but voicing no protests to Prussia's rather large order, they sat in silence until Prussia cleared his throat.

"So…" he started.

"Not very subtle are you."

"Well you're the one that wanted to talk to me in the first place."

"True." England blew a strand of hair from his face and said, "You've been at my place for almost a week now. I appreciate all the work you've done and you haven't been acting quite as obnoxious as I know you can be so I thank you. But I'm leaving tomorrow and I can't help but notice that you haven't made any sort of attempt to leave." He gave Prussia a pointed look. "You called Germany and told him you wouldn't be going home but I really do hope that you didn't include me in that plan of yours."

Taking Prussia sheepish face for an answer, he sighed and shook his head and said "No," right as Prussia began to try to convince him to say yes.

"Listen England, I have this all planned out." He leaned in closer to make sure the Brit was paying attention. "You don't have to take me with you. I figure I can find a job here, raise some money and maybe take a year long break to Hawaii. I hear the rain there is warm. All you have to do is rent me the house for like, a month. Maybe two."

England's stomach clenched and he couldn't help but blurt, "Why are you so bloody lucky?"

Prussia drew back like if he'd been punched and blinked in wonder at the strange question. "What?"

Crossing his arms, England looked away even as his voice grew depressed. "You heard me. How I envy that you can take a year long vacation. You don't need to worry about responsibilities and your brothers bullying you and asking to leave you. Once the year long vacation is over, Germany will be waiting for you and…" He trailed off there because England had absolutely no idea what he was saying.

You fool! Bloody idiot! How mortifying!

Meanwhile, Prussia was trying to sort out everything that had just been thrown at him. Okay brain, time to work some magic. Soooo, England was…jealous? That Prussia wasn't a nation anymore? Or that he could go on vacation?

England was blushing having realized that he'd just said some very stupid things. Curse his fair complexion! He just wanted to disappear now. Hole himself up in his room and burry his head in his pillows. This would all be easier if Prussia wasn't living in his house. That and Bellblossom was bound to ask him what was wrong. She had become quite meddlesome as of late.

"The truth is I need to get away from my bruder."

England glanced up in surprise. A question formed on his lips but he quickly replaced it with, "I…hadn't realized things were quite so bad."

"Nein. They aren't bad I just…I feel…" This was hard. He wasn't exactly a mushy, vomit my soul out, person. Germany had a better chance at opening up than he did and that was a fact. Germany had admitted loving him, Prussia hadn't. Or at least not when Germany was awake. When Germany was still a kid and sound asleep, then yeah, but never for him to hear. Hungary would say it was because he'd been raised by men on the battlefield and…well…she probably had a point.

Well, for whatever reason, Prussia didn't normally speak about his emotions. He was one of those that liked to show with actions rather than say.

He scratched his forehead and finally decided that if England could spew embarrassing emotional crap, he could too. "I had a dream about when I stopped being a nation." He trained his face up to the ceiling, deciding that the red tiles were a much safer place to rest his eyes without appearing lame. "I remember how painful and lonely it felt." He blew air out of his nose. "Germany is my bruder but at his house, even when he's around, I feel alone and I hate, hate feeling that way. Ich fühle mich schwachund nutzlosmanchmal."

Both nations sat in silence for a moment. England studied Prussia, suddenly seeing him in a new light. For the first time, England realized how much had really changed for Prussia. How he must have felt being pushed into the background. He used to be an empire, feared by nations, conqueror of men. A warrior. And now he was treated no better than a nuisance sometimes. God knows that's how England had viewed him at times. And although he could not comprehend the pain of ceasing to be a nation, England could at least relate to the loneliness and the resentment of being stripped of power.

They were old men now, former kingdom and empire that were overshadowed by much more powerful and young nations.

Their food arrived during there silence but neither could really summon up their appetite at the moment.

England was probably going to regret this later but…

"I suppose you can stay with me if you want."

Prussia's head snapped up. "Really?" Hope was plainly evident in his eyes.

Uncomfortable, England nodded and choked a cry of protest when Prussia threw himself across the table and gave him an awkward one arm hug. People stared at them and England was highly aware of how this might look.

"What in the blooming hell do you think you're doing!" he hissed. "Let go of me you barmy fool!"

Prussia did let go and to top it off, was disturbingly happier than before to that point that his appetite had come back. He immediately began attacking his food.

England watched him in disgust. "You can't stay at my flat in London. I'm afraid you'll destroy it."

The albino shrugged. "No problem, but for the record, I would have taken care of it like if it was my own."

"I'm sure," England mumbled, turning his attention to his own plate, filling a spoon full of basmati rice. The food aroma wafted his face as he leaned slightly in to place the rice in his mouth. He chewed, swallowed, and added, "You still smell by the way."

"Whatever man. It's not like I'm trying to impress anyone. And besides, sweat's the smell of a real man." He said all this between bites and after a moment where England didn't respond, he nudged his foot beneath the table to get his attention. The Brit looked at him wearily. Prussia chose to ignore this, considering he was too grateful to feel insulted by anything the Brit said or did to him for the rest of the day. "Do they have beer here? I feel like some beer."

That actually sounded like a good idea but he needed to be careful this time. He didn't want a repeat of a few days ago. The beer arrived moments later and by that time, Prussia and England were more or less back to normal.

"Cheers," he said, raising his glass.

Prussia mimicked him. "Prost."

A/N: There! I hope that wasn't boring or anything. See, they're getting along. Plus, that was a pretty good excuse to get England to bring Prussia along. More bonding to come. I hadn't realized until I typed this up that Prussia has some issues to sort out and that hanging out with England is probably going to help him. I dunno. Seriously, this thing is writing itself. Any mistakes or typos, please tell me!

Translations

German:

Ich fühle mich schwachund nutzlosmanchmal – I feel weak and useless sometimes.