IT HAS BEEN WAY TOO LONG! *hugs everyone* I have been VERY busy working on Aladdin (I cannot Jazz or Tap dance to save my life =_=) and I just have had some pretty bad writers block. I've been cosplaying Italy lately more than Prussia, who I also cosplay, and I think that had something to do with it. I'm back to cosplaying Prussia more now though so hopefully this will all change soon! Anyway this is an interesting chapter because it goes from funny, to depressing, back to funny, back to depressing, back to funny. Reason being I think that the Baltics and Prussia would have to kinda joke around a little bit just so they could keep their own sanity. The first part is just Prussia being Prussia however XD Anyway, hopefully you will all enjoy this sadly rather short chapter. I hope it's short but sweet! Russia is one of my favorite characters right along with Prussia, France, Italy and Germany, (oh! Can't forget Austria and Hungary too!) so I had to give him some more likeableness. He's not as bad as he often seems. By the way, good luck on reading the very long German number. If you actually read through all that kudos to you! The inspiration from that came from my German lesson a few days ago. We were learning about numbers and how usually they just write the number instead of the words because the way the words go together ends up from looking ridiculous, to impossible to read. Have fun! Seriously though, I'll try to update more! *hugs*
Chapter 14:
Broken
"I need that report." Russia snapped at me.
I sighed. I was so tired… "You work me so hard I don't have time to finish it!" I dared to speak up.
He slapped me and I backed off.
"You will not be allowed to sleep tonight until that report is finished." He walked away.
I sighed. He meant it. He'd figure out something to keep me awake… That something ended up being a bell in my room than rang every 10 minutes. Not enough time to sleep…
I looked at the papers and books on my desk… He wanted me to go through the daily, and weekly reports from my country every month and give him a totaled up monthly report. It was a long process, I was barely started, and I was several days late… I sat down at my desk and picked up the pen. I'd long ago given up really trying to fight Russia, but I'd still slip in little not-extremely-dangerous annoyances to him if I could. I tried to think of something…the bell rang. It rang twice more before I'd figured out a plan.
"Ok Russia, if you want me to stay up all right writing this report, I'll stay up all night!" I took out my pen and started writing down the numbers… writing out the numbers. Russia was starting to learn little bits of my language, and I knew he could count. He could count well enough to read the numbers I was writing down, but that didn't make it any easier.
"dritausendfunfhundertfearundachtzig…" I smirked. That was a big number, and a mouthful. The real number was 3,584. I could have used the numerals of course, but writing out all the numbers would be extremely annoying, but Russia couldn't really say I didn't do the reports. I did. I was just making it difficult.
I gave it to him the next morning. I thought better of it less than five minutes after handing it in. I REALLY thought better of it when he came to my house that afternoon.
"H…hi." I winced. I was in for it.
"Next time you try something like that you will pay for it. I'll let it slide this time. But not next time. Understand?"
I nodded, looking down.
"Make your report on time next month."
"Y…You're not going to… punish me?"
"Nyet." He walked away, slamming my door as he walked out.
I didn't know if that relieved me, or scared me.
I bit my lip and sat down on on my bed, shaking. I heard another knock at my door and I answered, trembling. It was Lithuania. "Hey." I bit my lip.
He walked in, putting his hand on my shoulder gently. "You shouldn't tease Russia."
I looked away.
"Come with me. I have to show you something."
I looked up at him and nodded, following. He let me into Russia's city streets… I looked around… everything looked so dead. Everything was so grey. The few people who were on the streets weren't smiling… I looked at Lithuania. "W…what is this?"
"Why you shouldn't tease him."
I looked right at Lithuania… I was starting to get it…
He just nodded. "Don't be mean to him. He lives with this."
I nodded. "But he-"
Lithuania stopped me. "I know. Believe me. I know."
I looked at him curiously.
He sighed deeply. "I think this'll help you. That's the only reason I'm doing this? Ok?"
I nodded.
He took my hand and pulled me back to my house. He locked the door and took off his shirt, turning his back to me.
I stared. "I…" I walked up to him and touched the scars on his back… "Are these real…?" They were so horrible I didn't want to believe it.
"Yes." He nodded, pulling on his jacket and turning back to face me. "Russia did that."
I nodded. I'd figured that out already.
"I know how you feel. I know why you want to hate him, why you want to jab at him and make him hurt." He sighed. "I hear you saw one of the nightmares?"
Again, I nodded. "He was… different…" I sighed.
"Yes. You haven't been here very long. The longer you stay, the more you'll understand. The more you'll see of that side of him that doesn't usually come out… I may be absolutely terrified of him, but I can't hate him. I can't. I've seen him too much… Seen enough of what what you saw that night to know he's even more broken than we are." He sighed.
"How can you say that, and carry those scars?"
"Because I know that the person who gave me those, and Russia… aren't the same."
"You're confusing me."
"Russia has moments of sanity. He does! But think about it. Have any of his leaders ever been kind to him? Name me one who didn't do something to hurt him?"
"His last Tzar wasn't that bad."
"His last Tzar dragged him into a war. Then Russia watched him and his children die. You saw it too, Russia uses his scarf to hide how many times he's tried to slit his own throat… Gil… don't be so hard on Russia."
I looked away.
"I know you're scared of him. We're all scared of him. But just try and remember what I showed you, what I said? I can't wait to get out of Russia's control, but while I'm here I can't hate him. I just can't. I've seen him cry too many times when he thought I wasn't looking."
I looked back at Lithuania. "He cries?"
"Every night."
I sighed, nodding. "I'll try and remember that." I nodded with a heavier sigh.
Lithuania only smiled. "He'll want dinner soon."
"If you're asking me to help cook it's a really really really really really bad idea." I said flatly.
"No." He laughed a little, "But you can still help."
I rolled my eyes, nodding. "Just don't hand me any expensive dishes." I smirked. We were just playing now. Both of us knew we were just hiding pain, even though we did it all the time. It was all just a game now… just a stupid stupid game…
"Gil…?" He looked back at me.
"Yeah?"
"You will remember, right?"
I sighed deeply, nodding. "Yes. I will.
"Good." He nodded back, and walked away.
I sighed again, grabbing my coat and heading out to walk to Russia's house to help bring him dinner and hopefully not break anything in the process. I failed by the way. I dropped two cups before Latvia decided to bring Russia his tea.