Then I was Young and Unafraid

Switzerland woke up to a tickling beneath his nose. Crinkling the extremity, his eyes popped open and looking cross-eyed down he saw it was a thatch of brown that was irritating him. He felt a low, silent laugh rumble in him. Liechtenstein had never joined him in bed (she'd been too old by the time he took her under her wing for such childish things) and it'd been years since he slept regularly with anyone. In fact, the last time he slept with anyone for more than a night had been in his childhood. When Austria and his alliance had been at its strongest.

Patting the tiny body's frail shoulder, he muttered; "Vake up." A quiet moan answered him. Smirking, he wormed his fingers beneath the child's chin and let his fingers dance on the underside of his chin.

"Nein!" Austria shrieked leaping away.

He chortled and reached out for the boy. On his knees, Austria scooted further back; the suspicion blatant on his face. "Alright, alright, truce." The blond muttered, wriggling his fingers for the child to come. Reluctant, the boy headed him. Slipping his hands beneath the child's armpits, he swung him to the floor and shooed the brunette off. "I smell breakfast, hurry down to eat." Purple eyes gazed up and Switzerland shook his head. "I'll be down after I dress in something not wrinkled," hands flitting to his creased shirt.

With that said, the boy sent one last glance before scurrying out of his borrowed room and down the stairs. Once he was gone, the Swiss sighed and stretched. He didn't mind Austria like this...actually, he liked him better as the child he appeared than the man he'd become and was inside that boyhood body of his. Frowning as he left the room himself, the blond thought of England's explanation to them.

"...He might just stay as he is for three weeks, or he might encounter a 'growth-spurt', if you will, sometime half-way through."

In his room, he walked through the light's rays passing through his window. At his closet, he pushed aside the winter clothes and reached for a light-weight button-up. Spring had come in the week and the sweaters were too heavy to wear on days like these. His actions were on auto-pilot even as he made decisive decisions about his dress, hair, face and teeth. None of them could compete with the continuous thought that ran through his head;

Vill I still care for Österreich if he doesn't stay this age the entire time? Or vill I revert?

It actually kind of scared him. Vash could see right now that Austria, while with his memory and wits, was a bub through and through. He felt, looked and spoke like one even if had his memories and personality of present. But what if he grew up a little? Or completely for that matter. Would Austria forget him again? Would he be no one once again? Switzerland didn't like the idea of becoming just a bit of the past not worth remembering again...

He also worried that a change in age would throw him a step back and he'd be treating the child who needed him like he was trash for a second time. Pausing on the second to last step, the blond wondered if it'd be best for him to just leave. He could leave a note saying business called him away (it wasn't like it'd never happened); and then he'd be safe to not come home until Germany turned up to check in on the boy.

"Bruder!" His sister called. "Bruder, breakfast is ready!"

Stomach turning, the man walked into the kitchen to find Austria, messy of face, smiling.

"Liechtenstein said I could help you with your goats, can I?"

Seeing that he was in a losing battle with himself and the reality of the world around him, Vash's shoulders slumped and he lifted his lips in a weak smile. "Ja," he agreed. "Vhy not?"

Keeping his gun at ready for any streaking Italians, Switzerland paced himself as Austria darted and lagged in equal parts as they head for the pen where his goats resided.

"Hey, Österreich!" He yelled. "Do you vant to feed them or not?"

The boy looked away from the flowers he'd been examining and returned to his side. "Ja!" He exclaimed hand reaching for the latch. The blond swatted the tiny hand back.

"Nein," he sighed. "These fellows are tricky. They'll vant to run out if you aren't ready..." Putting down the bucket of feed, he scooped the boy into his arms and placed him on the other side of the gate. "Just a second now.." Coming in, he latched the fence closed as the animals inspected the new person. Once satisfied that no goat would be getting past, he said, "Come here."

Austria twisted around and with one last pet of Eiger's horn, he was beside the man. Lifting the pale, he inquired, "Ready?"

A smile was his answer. Smirking back, Vash lead the boy to the trough and helped his small arms with the heavy weight as they unloaded it into the trough. Eagerly, the animals pranced over butting in between them to get at the food.

The child laughed with sudden brightness. "How rude they are!" He remarked.

Helping the boy back to his feet, the man smiled. "Just a little," he agreed.

"For being so shrewd, you have spoiled them." Austria told him as he clapped his hands together to rid them of the dust.

Teasingly reaching out to tickle at the boy's chin, he scoffed and deflected the boy's accusation. "Not me," he argued. "Eva's the one vho has turned them spoilt."

Purple eyes wide, he grasped for the blond and asked; "Can ve go in now? Duetschland said he'd call today!"

"You tell me now!" The man grumbled, whisking the boy up. "Let's hurry back."

"Vash! Duetschland is on the phone vaiting for you!" The girl shouted, her voice ringing true from the pair's home to the boy and man in the goat pen.

Looking to the child, he smirked. "I'll race you."

"Ja!" Austria accepted, scrambling out of his arms and over the fence. Tiny body sprinting toward home with speed he'd forgotten that the other nation possessed. Shaking his head, Switzerland meandered out and after. Not nearly as rushed or excited to talk to the man waiting on the phone.

I think there's some foreboding undertones in this chapter despite the bits of lightness, don't you agree?

To reviewers, Mite, and Onyxlark36; thanks so much for the reviews! They were wonderful to receive. Also, since we are so close to being at chapter ten, I'd like to try and set up another prize. If I have twenty five reviews by chapter ten, I'll give a one-shot to reviewer twenty-six*!

Thanks again everybody for reading and pretty please review!

*This excludes those who have already won a one-shot.

P.S. Vote on my poll if you haven't! It'd be greatly appreciated!

P.S.S A big thanks to Mite for the correction on my German last chapter!

Words:

Ja-Yes

Nein-No

bub-Boy

Bruder-Brother

Österreich-Austria

Duetschland-Germany