Kiku rose from the couch to go and bring a towel to the mysterious voice.
"That must be Ludwig." You thought.
Italy started where he left off, too interested in his conversation with you to go and see, who you were assuming to be, Ludwig. You decided to listen to him, but only caught the end.
"-and that's how I decided which pasta to choose!" Feli said enthusiastically.
He was about to blab about something else when a giant flash of light and a deafening crack of thunder shook the house.
Italy, in return, jumped onto your lap, cowering. Somehow, this didn't really surprise you that much, so you comforted the terrified Italian until he settled down. He went back to his spot on the comfortable couch while starting a new conversation.
"One time, when I was in training-" Feliciano said, being cut off by you.
"Training?"
"Oh, Ludwig makes me train with him almost every day, but this time, he said I could have the week off!"
You nodded and let the Italian continue.
"So, I was in training right? And, and Ludwig, he didn't see a log in front of him because he was yelling at me. So-so he tripped on the log and fell flat on his face!"
The Italian laughed really hard, and you giggled.
"So I of course laughed after I made sure he was ok and then he made me run another lap before dinner!" Feli made a pouty face, which you laughed at. He joined you, and the two of you sat there laughing until a figure watching you through the door caught your eye.
You turned to look, and saw the man that you had seen so many times, but never met. Now that you were closer to him you took in the man's handsome figure. His blond hair was soaked and some of the strands clung to his face while others hung in front. The blonde's startlingly blue eyes looked back deeply into your own. His chiseled jawline was strong and fierce. He was carrying his shirt which was dripping slightly, and his chest and arms glistened with raindrops. The man was probably the most muscular man you had ever seen. Every movement he made, his muscles bulged and moved in an attractive way. He had on a dark green pair of army pants which clung to his also muscular legs. The man, in addition to no shirt, was barefoot.
You, who had just noticed you were staring, looked away blushing. Feli also noticed you were looking at something and turned.
"LUDWIG, YOU'RE ALL WET!" The Italian exclaimed.
"Ja, ja, I know," the man said in a thick German accent, rubbing the back of his neck. A slight blush covered his cheeks. "I'm going to go get into the shower and change." And with that, the man walked away toward his room by the study.
Italy immediately turned back to you.
"As you know, that was Ludwig, but I would call him Germany if I were you, he prefers it."
"Then why do you call him Ludwig?" You asked, confused. You didn't think the Italian would go against the much larger man's wishes.
"He promised this morning that we could use our names! I was so happy!" The Italian practically sung.
You nodded and Kiku entered the room.
"Mr. Ludwig was very wet indeed." He said, sitting back down, "looks like he didn't remember his umbrella after all."
"POOR LUDWIG!" Feli exclaimed.
You could hear the water turning on in the distance, determining Germany was taking his shower. In addition to that a new bright light filled the room and dissipated. After a few moments the loud boom of thunder came, this time much closer. The noise shook the house, and the vibration reverberated through your whole body. This caused Feliciano to wine and shift in his seat. Seeing as you knew the Italian much better, you patted his head knowing he wouldn't think anything of it. He welcomed the pat and inched closer to you, enjoying each stroke.
You, Kiku, and Feliciano continued small talk until the shower turned off and the German re-entered the room.
~MEANWHILE~
Germany stared at the girl, taking in every feature. Her (h/s) (h/c) shone and glistened with every move she made. She sat sideways on the couch to face Italy. The girl laughed again, and after a moment, Feliciano joined too. He took in the laugh, savoring each note. Her eyes closed as she laughed, hiding her sparkling (e/c) orbs. He also noticed she was wearing the same outfit as earlier, and he could smell her lavender perfume from where he stood. The girl stopped laughing and looked him straight in the eyes, feeling his stare. Her eyes lingered on him for a while, before she noticed she was staring. She looked away blushing, and that's when he realized he was blushing as well. He mentally stabbed himself when Italy turned around.
"LUDWIG, YOU'RE ALL WET!" the Italian proclaimed.
"Ja, ja, I know, I'm going to get in the shower and change." He responded, before abruptly turning and leaving the room, hoping the girl didn't notice he was embarrassed.
The blue eyed man walked into his room next to the study. He grabbed his white dress shirt, brown trousers, and a pair of socks. He decided he could grab his tie later. The man closed the door to the bathroom and stripped out of his soaking clothes, placing each article into the sink so they didn't get the tiles soaked. He turned on the shower and waited for the water to warm up before entering.
Afterwards, he stepped out of the surprisingly pleasant shower and began dressing. The German wiped the foggy mirror with a Kleenex so he could see his reflection. His hair would have to be wait to be styled; it was too wet to style now. His fingers were pruned from being wet for so long. He began buttoning his shirt, taking his time to do each button right. He pulled his trousers and cushy socks on and headed out the door. He applied his deodorant and tied his nicely folded tie in a neat knot. He went back to the mirror and, with a satisfied grunt, walked out of his room.
Walking toward the living room, half of him hoped the girl had left; she made him feel uncomfortable. But something about her intrigued the German, even though they hadn't formally talked yet. Her smile seemed to brighten the room, and he could tell she could put anyone in a good mood.
To his liking and dismay, she was still sitting in the living room. She was making small talk with Kiku while stroking Italy's head soothingly. He felt a pang inside him. Jealousy maybe? He wasn't sure.
Kiku was the first to notice he stepped into the room.
"Ah, Ludwig-san, how was your shower?"
"Fine, danke." He said before taking a seat next to the Japanese man, across from the strange girl.
She sat there watching Feliciano, obviously not wanting to make eye contact.
"How awkward." He thought.
He decided he would make the first acquaintance, which was an odd move for him.
He cleared his throat awkwardly, "So, may I ask who you are?" The German inquired, trying not to sound intimidating.
She turned toward him, "(f/n) (l/n), sir."
He found it amusing she had used sir. "You don't have to use the word sir; you probably know my name already due to Feliciano." The blue eyed man said, gesturing to the almost asleep Italian.
"Yes, he said you name was Ludwig, but to call you Germany because you don't like people using your real name." She sipped her tea, finishing the last drops, and set the cup on the table.
Kiku noticed the empty cup and the awkward mood, so he got up, took care of all the teacups, and headed for the kitchen.
(f/n) spoke up, "Thank you, Kiku."
He just bowed and left the room in response.
Germany replied to (f/n) statement. "Yes, well at least Italy-" He was interrupted by the suddenly awake Italian.
"FELICIANO!" Feli corrected.
The German continued, "Yes, well at least FELICIANO has enough common sense to remember that." He said looking at Feliciano, who was satisfied and started nodding off again.
The conversation stopped there, the German could not think of anything to say. It seemed that both he and the (f/n) didn't want to talk, so he didn't push it.
Kiku walked back into the room a short while later and took his seat on the sofa. The four of them sat in silence until Kiku decided to speak up.
"Did (f/n)-san tell you her predicament, Ludwig-san?" He said softly.
"Nein, she did not." The blue eyed man responded, a little puzzled.
(f/n), who seemed to be getting over her shyness, spoke.
"Well, I came with Feli after lunch, but it was still sunny then. So obviously I don't have an umbrella. I also know that Feliciano got his license taken away and Kiku doesn't really drive, so they, and I, was wondering if you could give me a ride back home. I would be really grateful-"
She kept rambling, even though she didn't have to. It wasn't that big of an issue; he could easily drive her if she needed it. Germany didn't stop her though, he thought the rambling was…well…cute.
(f/n) was now finishing her speech, "And I only live around 5 minutes away from here, so it wouldn't be too far out of your way." She finished.
The German sat there in silence for a few second to make sure she was done talking. "Ja, it's fine" He said plainly. He got up and grabbed his jacket from the coatrack and slid his shoes on. (f/n) hadn't risen from her spot on the couch.
"Well, are you coming?" He said, a little too harshly.
"Oh yeah, sorry." She said apologizing. She grabbed her shoes and put them on hastily. "Thank you." She said, looking him in the eyes for the first time since the awkward introduction. He inwardly gasped a little; the look had caught him off guard.
She, however, didn't seem fazed and opened the front door. She remembered something and turned towards the living room.
"Thank you for the tea, Kiku. Also, tell Feli I say goodbye." She whispered, gesturing towards the sleeping Italian.
"Ok, goodbye (f/n)-san, and I hope to see you again, our time has been most pleasurable." The Japanese man responded.
(f/n) turned back to the door and walked out with the blue eyed man following. They ran to the car, but (f/n) stopped, gaping at the car.
"NICE BMW!" she exclaimed, examining the car. He just watched her. "Danke, it's a Z4sDRIVE35is."
Germany opened the passenger door for (f/n) like a gentleman. Before she entered, she ran a finger down the cars sea blue body.
"My dad has an X-5, but it's not nearly as fancy as this! There isn't even a scratch. Is it new?"
"Nein, I've actually had this car for a while, I just like to keep it tidy." he said, suddenly proud of the car.
She seemed taken aback by his gesture of opening the door. "Oh, thank you."
They scrambled into the car and out of the rain.
Germany turned the key in the ignition causing the cars perfectly tuned engine to purr. He and (f/n) snapped their seatbelts with a "click" and were off.
~BACK TO YOU~
The two of you drove through the mansions gates and out onto the public streets. You noticed that Ludwig seemed to be an excellent driver .He could be one of those guys in action movies who drive away unscathed from a car chase. You giggled at yourself picturing the scene. Luckily, Germany didn't notice, he was too concentrated on avoiding the reckless Italian drivers.
You didn't mean to be so shy back at the house; you just weren't very good at talking to guys. You never were, especially to a country, let alone a hot one. Though it seemed as though Germany was the same way as her; or at least antisocial, which made you feel a little better. Maybe someday the two of you could get over that and be friends, that is, if you stayed friends with Italy.
You looked at the car clock, which read 4:00pm.
"Good, I should still have plenty of time to clean and go to bed at a normal time." You thought.
The drive to your house was a silent, awkward one. Eventually, you broke it to give the German directions, and Ludwig following them until you reached the destination. Germany took a quick glance at the place, and you knew he thought it was quite run-down.
"I'm re-painting tomorrow." you said plainly. "Cleaning the inside is on today's checklist, I like everything to be pristine, just like your car."
He just nodded, and you got ready to run to your house in the rain.
"Thank you again for the ride, Germany."
"You're welcome." He replied simply, in his attractive German accent. You started a mental countdown, 3…2…1…GO!
You flung the door open, grabbed your purse and made a break for it. Unfortunately you still got soaked on the way to your front step.
You waved goodbye to Germany before entering your apartment. You watched the German through your window back out and fade in the distance.
"Back to cleaning" you thought enthusiastically.
~MEANWHILE~
Germany backed out of (f/n) crappy house and down the street. The neighborhood didn't seem very safe to the blue eyed man. He hoped (f/n) would be alright. He made his way back to Italy's mansion, the rain still coming down in sheets. He entered the gates to the mansion and parked his car. The German watched the rain for a few minutes before taking a deep breath and hastily opening the car door. He made a break for the front door, sprinting through the rain and to the front porch. Straightening his shirt curtly, he opened the door and closed it after him. Italy was gone from his spot on the couch and he could hear talking coming from the kitchen. Germany entered the kitchen where Italy and Japan were doing dishes from the tea earlier. Japan heard him enter.
"Ludwig-san, you just missed a call from Mr. America, he called to remind us that Italy is hosting the world meeting next week. Looks like you and I will be staying here another week, that is, if Feliciano-san doesn't mind."
"I don't mind at all Kiku!" said Italy, "Yay! Another week with my friends!"
"You do realize we aren't going to take another week off of training, correct Feliciano?" The blue eyed man responded.
The Italian groaned. "Nooooooo! Luuuuuddddwwiiiiiiiigggg!"
Ludwig wasn't in the mood to deal with his whining, so he shot a look at Italy to shut him up. It went into effect almost immediately as Feliciano sulked off somewhere else.
"Kiku, I'll be in my room reading if you need me." Germany said
The Japanese man just nodded, and Ludwig exited the room. The German walked down the familiar hallway to his room, scanning the familiar pictures along the way. Once there, he picked up the novel and sat in the chair in the corner of the room. Curious to actually see what it was about, he read the inside cover.
"No way." He whispered.
It turned out that he had grabbed a romantic novel.
He sighed, "Note to self: look at the books you pick up closer next time."
The man set the book back onto the table and looked outside, then towards the book. He picked it up back up again and pondered it before opening it again.
"I guess I'll read it, it'd be a waste not to, plus I would have to go bookless until the rain lets up." He thought before skimming through the books 237 pages. He then went to the first page and began reading.
Sometime after, around the halfway point in his book, Italy burst into his room, carrying what looked to be a Styrofoam container.
"GERMANY(F/N)FORGOTHERLEFTOVERSFROMLUNCH!" The brown eyed man exclaimed, slurring his words.
"Calm down Feliciano, then tell me again slower" The German spoke in a monotone voice.
Italy took a deep breath and began again. "Germany, (f/n) forgot her leftovers when she left. Could you drive them over to her?"
The blue eyed man took a hand to his face and massaged the bridge of his nose. "She will be fine without them; after all, it's just pasta."
The Italian looked at him, offended, then softened his gaze to a puppy-dog face. "Pleeeeeeaaaassssseeeee…." He said pouting.
The German man looked at the clock. He had to take a double take, it was already 8pm!
"I guess the book was better than I thought." Ludwig thought. He actually generally liked the book. It was about a man and women being separated during World War II.
"Alright Feliciano, I'll go." he said, "Is it still raining?" Ludwig said giving in.
"Mhmm..." The Italian responded simply, wandering the room. His eyes landed on Ludwig's book. The German quickly hid it.
Too late, "Ludwig why are you reading Outlander?"
The German sighed, mentally slapping himself for his crappy hiding job. "I just picked up a random novel and this is what I ended up with." He said blushing slightly. "Anyways could you grab my jacket and an umbrella for me?"
The Italian saw the embarrassment in Germanys stare, "Don't worry Ludwig, it's a good book!" The Italian cheered before exiting the room to go grab the objects.
Ludwig sat there stunned. Had he heard the Italian right?
"Italy...READS?!" he thought completely astounded.
"Here you go Germany~" The Italian said, handing Germany his jacket.
"Danke, I'll be back in a little bit. Tell Kiku where I went, ok?"
Italy saluted and went to find Kiku while Germany went to the front door. He opened it slowly, walked out, then closed it afterwards. He watched the rain fall out of the dark sky, hearing its soft pitter-patter on the pavement. The German opened the bright cyan umbrella and walked to where his car sat. He recalled what (f/n) had said about it and smiled. He had never known a girl who was interested in cars; it was an interesting quirk to her personality.
He entered the car and closed the umbrella, happy for another chance to see (f/n).
Key
(h/s)=hair style
(h/c)=hair color
(e/c)=eye color
(f/n)=first name
(l/n)=last name
Translations:
German
Danke=thank you
Nein=no