::Austria::
You stopped dead in your tracks, whipping your head around.
That sound... It's so familiar...
A gasp escaped your lips.
Could it be? YES! It has to be!
Your legs broke out into a full sprint, your overstuffed backpack and the steep cobblestone path making it difficult to breathe. Up and up you went, rushing past small village houses with shrubbery and vines that crept up the sides and sprouted fresh spring flowers of every color. The air was crisp and clean, the sun warming your sweaty, excited face.
A large - actually huge - house came into view at the peak of the hill, the sight of it making you yell out with a wide smile. The sound was coming from downstairs, seeing as the drawing room window was left open. Everything looked the same as it had been the last time you visited – neatly trimmed hedges and lawn, all a healthy green with no weeds; recently painted house front the same pale yellow, like diluted sunlight.
Your exhausted legs carried you up to the front door where you didn't even bother to knock; it's not like you were a stranger. You silently eased the large oak door open, tip-toeing onto the hardwood floor of the main hall. Pausing to listen, you sighed in relief to know that he hadn't heard you come in, so you made sure it wouldn't happen when you shut the door now; not when you were this close.
Wiping your brow and puffing a loose tuft of hair from your face, you snuck your way down the hall and crept up to the doorway where the sound was at its loudest, the sweet melody creating a gentle smile on your lips.
His back was turned as he played, his fingers flowing over the keys like water. The small curly hair that stuck out from his part danced on his head as his torso moved rhythmically in time with the song and his feet pressed and released the pedals at the base of the piano.
You leaned up against the doorframe, crossing one leg over the other with one foot making a light "tup" as it touched the floor. Your eyelids closed and your arms crossed over your chest, taking in the sweet mixture of notes.
Once the final note was struck, your eyes flickered open to see the aristocrat sighing contentedly and moving to get up.
"That was beautiful, as always," you mumbled.
He spun on his heel, a look of great alarm on his face. "Vhat?! Vhat are you doing in mein house?! Who are you?!"
"Roddy! I'm hurt!" You clutched your chest in fake pain. "How can you not recognize a face like this...?" You gave him the best puppy dog eyes you had.
"No vone calls me Roddy but-" His violet eyes widened behind his glasses. "_?"
"Of course it's me, idiot!" You bounded over, pinning his arms to his sides in a tight hug.
"You look... But how did you...? Und vhen? Und vould you LOOK at how muddy your boots are?! Look at all zhe mud you've tracked in, _!" he fumed, wriggling to escape your grasp.
You released him, slightly irate. "Yeah, nice to see you, too, Roderich. Thanks," you mumbled dryly.
"You made zhis mess; you clean it up! Get zhat mud up before it dries!" he huffed, jabbing his finger at your muddy boot prints.
When he got like this, there was no getting around it, so you kicked your hiking boots off just outside the front door and stomped around until you found the cleaning supplies. Scrubbing on your hands and knees, you glared up at Roderich, who sat, one leg over the other, sipping tea.
As you cleaned away the last bit of mud, you muttered darkly, "I thought guests weren't supposed to do the dirty work, no pun intended... But seeing as the circumstances are what they are, I guess a certain someone isn't getting their thing I picked up just for them."
His eyes flickered up to meet yours for a brief moment. "I hope you aren't talking about me, _. You know how I get vhen you try gossiping in front of mein face."
You shot him a look and got up, throwing the dirty towel in the hamper and tromping back into the foyer and sitting down with crossed legs. "No, I said you should treat your guest with a little more respect if you want your gift, you stuck-up jerk."
"You... bought me somesing?" he wondered, his tone softer.
You sighed and nodded, annoyed, and pinched the bridge of your nose. What about the respect issue?!
"Can I see it?" Roderich set down his tea with a clink, shifting his weight forward in his seat.
You had to smile a little at his curiosity. "Yeah, sure. I guess..." You shuffled over to your pack, digging around until your hands clasped around a small package. "Here." You tossed it to him and chuckled as he flailed in a sad attempt to catch it. Thankfully, it landed in in his lap.
"Vhat is it?" He turned the small package over and over, inspecting it with narrowed eyes.
"Open it and you'll see!"
His skilled fingers delicately tore at the wrapping until, at last, the end was reached. "Is zhis... mein favourite käse?"
"If käse is German for cheese, then yes!" you cheered, watching his face with a grin and patting your knees excitedly.
He looked at you, his expression difficult to pinpoint. "Er... Danke... I suppose."
"You... suppose?" Why the hesitation?
"Vell, it is customary for guests to bring gifts, so I should have known you vould bring somesing like zhis. Typical." Watching him get up from the sofa and strut into the kitchen with a dropped jaw made your heart sting.
"I didn't have to, you know! We don't do that where I'm from! I could have been even more typical and not brought you anything, you ungrateful grump!" you shouted, storming after him.
"Ungrateful? Nein. _, if I am anysing, it is subtly grateful for everysing. I simply sought you spent too much. Don't you ever sink?" he asked with a hint of amusement in his fluctuating voice.
"Oh, can it. Aren't you even going to ask why I'm here in the first place?" you grumbled, propping up on his kitchen counter with your elbows.
"Vell, you're going to tell me anyvay, so it doesn't matter vhat mein answer is..."
"Yer darn right I am! Well, I'm on an adventure, Roddy! I left home and I'm just... adventuring my way around the world! It's super fun~ I've been living a nomad's life and it's so cool! I can check out all the back streets and alleys and secret compartments of the world that tour guides never show you and it's amazing the stuff I've seen! I've been staying in hostels for the most part, and when I was working my way through Austria, I figured I'd drop by to see my old friend, Mr. Roderich Edelstein," you finished with a contented exhale and a smile, looking up warmly at him.
"Is zhat so? Vell, I sink it vould be alright to say I'm happy to see you."
You had to laugh at the sight of the stuffy Austrian delicately dabbing at the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief throughout the duration of the dinner he had so... willingly invited you to attend. As you gobbled down your plate, he sat there all prim and proper, taking mouse-sized nibbles and hardly saying a word.
"You know, I was-"
"It's horribly rude to talk vis your mous full, _."
You rolled your eyes at him, swallowing that bite before continuing. "I was wondering- Since we're in Austria and I'm seeing the sights, I'd love to see the Alps. You should come with me! It'd be a lot more fun than being alone (not that he's the best of company, but...)! Whatdya say?"
He shook his head. "Nein. It's far too expensive. If you're making your vay across Europe in hostels, zhen you can't have much money on you, am I richtig?" he questioned, knowing the answer, but asking anyway to prove a point.
You paused mid-bite, shifting your gaze down to your plate.
"As I sought. I simply don't sink it vould be vise."
"Man, why do you always have to be right...?" you pouted, toying with your food.
He shrugged, finishing his own plate. "Come now… If you're done, please put your dirtied dishes in zhe kitchen und I vill clean zhem."
"Still think it would be fun..." You gathered your plate and silverware, shuffling into the kitchen with a yawn.
"Oh? Are you tired from a long day's trek?" Roderich asked gently, taking your dishes.
"Mhm... Can I stay the night?" you asked, knowing it would likely offend him since it was a pretty rude thing to ask in someone else's house.
"Eh? I..." He looked around, his dark brows furrowed. "But zhe guest room hasn't been prepared."
"Come onnnn, Rod. Take a look at me. You think I care about it? As long as I'm clean you shouldn't worry!" you argued, one hand on hip.
"Vell..."
"And it's just for one night, I promise."
He studied your face for any hint that you were lying, but found none. "Ja, fine. You can stay..." he sighed exasperatedly, turning to wash the dishes. "Zhe vashroom is upstairs."
"Ahhh, thanks~" You gave him a quick hug from behind before trotting off to take a bath.
Running your fingers through your clean hair, you smiled sleepily, carrying your bundle of clothes back downstairs. "Roddy? Where am I supposed to sleep?" you called out into the now dimly lit house.
"First door on your right."
"Mm, okay... Hey, Roderich?"
His sigh echoed in the empty hall before he slowly answered, "...Ja...?"
"Do you seriously have pianos in every room?"
Down the hall he came, the clacking of his pointy shoes on the floor getting louder with each step. "I do not. Did you see vone in zhe vashroom or zhe kitchen? Nein."
"Just saying... How many do you have? Ten?" you joked.
"It's late. Get some sleep," he muttered, opening your bedroom door for you, his voice flat and unamued.
"Oh, thanks." You moseyed in, tossed your dirty clothes on the floor, and flopped onto the bed, just lying there, sprawled out in your pajamas.
"Oh... Vould you mind getting under zhe covers or do you need mein help vis zhat as vell?" he asked sarcastically, stepping over to one side of the bed and removing the pillows that were strictly for decoration, something you never really understood.
"I got it..." Though you said that, he still lifted the comforter up so you could crawl underneath it and then tucked you in.
"Shall I play somesing soozhing for you to drift off to?" he offered, pulling out the bench for the grand piano by the bed.
"Huh...? I guess... but counting sheep has always worked for me," you answered, pulling the sheet below your chin so you could speak without being muffled.
He dropped his hands, twisting around on the bench. "You don't vant to hear me play? Fine. I'll count zhe sheep if zhat makes you feel better. I shall begin now!" he huffed.
"Ein Schaf. Zwei Schafe. Drei Schafe. Vier Schafe. Fünf Schafe. Sechs Schafe. Sieben Schafe. Acht Schafe. Neun Schafe. Zehn Scafe," he spat out, crossing his arms over his chest and scowling.
"U-Uh... That was... a little terrifying..." You looked back and forth, avoiding his harsh gaze.
"VHAT?! Scary? How vas zhat scary?" he demanded to know, whipping his head around to glare daggers at you.
"Uh... Well, it sounded more like your Austrian Aristocrat Rage counting. How about you just calm down a bit, huh...? I think you're all worked up."
"You said to count for you! Am I not counting correctly?!"
You sighed, shaking your head.
"Vell zhen... I shall try to 'ease up.' Elf Schafe. Zwölf Schafe. Dreizehn Schafe." It now sounded more like... Annoyed Austrian Aristocrat counting, but it was getting better. "Vierzehn Schafe. Fünfzehn Schafe. Sechzehn Schafe. Siebzehn Schafe. Achtzehn Schafe. Neunzehn Schafe. Zwanzig Schafe." He paused a tic, eyeing you expectantly. "How vas zhat? I expect zhat zhere should be nein complaints now!"
Blankly, your eyes searched his, a hint of a frown on your lips.
"Vhy are you making zhat 'I vant to say somesing, but I can't' face?" he asked in monotone irritation.
You mumbled, "It just... It's better, but not quite calm enough..."
His brows lifted. "Oh?"
"Why don't you try counting like you would to a child; softly and sweetly?" you offered, tilting your head to watch his thinking face.
Roderich stared back, his eyes flittering around while he thought of ways to fix the problem. "I'll use it in mein own vay, zhen," he concluded, a tight smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He flexed his fingers and... played. It was a beautiful, slow, quiet song that must have been Austrian in origin. Then, a minute or two after the playing had begun, he started singing to you.
"Zwanzig ein Schafe~ Zwanzig zwei Schafe~ Zwanzig drei Schafe~ Zwanzig vier Schafe~ Zwanzig fünf Schafe~ Zwanzig sechs Schafe~" It was incredible. In all the years the two of you had known each other, never had he brought out his singing voice for your enjoyment. Never. It was so different from his normal speaking voice. He sounded like... an angel of sorts. "Zwanzig sieben Schafe~ Zwanzig acht Schafe~ Zwanzig neun Schafe~ Dreißig Schafe~" [2]
You blinked slowly up at the Austrian, who stopped singing for a moment, but kept playing the piano. He didn't turn around, but softly mumbled, "You're qvite pleasant vhen you're silent."
"Mmmmm, thanks. That's the highest compliment I think I've ever gotten from you, Roddy," you grinned, yawning widely again. "Seems like your lullaby is working, hm?"
His head bobbed up and down, so it was assumed to be taken as a yes, seeing as he continued shortly after, but this set was softer and slowed down. "Dreißig ein Schafe...~ Dreißig zwei Schafe...~ Dreißig drei Schafe...~ Dreißig vier Schafe...~ Dreißig fünf Schafe...~ Dreißig sechs Schafe...~ Dreißig sieben Schafe...~ Dreißig acht Schafe...~ Dreißig neun Schafe...~ Vierzig Schafe...~"
Heavy eyelids soon won you over, but your mind was too busy trying to keep awake. You just wanted to listen to as much of that music as you could; to soak it up like a sponge.
The tempo of the song gradually became slower and slower until it was less than one beat per second. And at this point, Roderich decided it must have been best to whisper it, just like one would in a lullaby.
"Vierzig ein Schafe...~ Vierzig zwei Schafe...~ Vierzig drei Schafe...~ Vierzig vier Schafe...~ Vierzig fünf Schafe...~ Vierzig sechs Schafe...~ Vierzig sieben Schafe...~ Vierzig acht Schafe...~ Vierzig neun Schafe...~ Fünfzig... Schafe…~"
He pushed himself out from behind the piano with silent ease and familiarity, taking a spinning step over to face your sleeping body. With one hand behind his back, he bent over you, reaching a hand out to brush some hair from your face.
"Vell, I sink zhat should be enough for vone day, hm?"
He brought his arms back to his side and stood, smiling gently at you and removing himself from your bedside, or technically his bedside, since it was his house and all.
"Gute nacht, _..." The door was shut and the room pitch black, with the only sound being your breathing.
A/N
As always, requests are open for characters that haven't been done yet. At the moment, I have this list for who's up next:
-Romano
-Germany
-China
-Italy
-Prussia
They'll be done in that order.