"West!"

Germany tried to smile as he walked towards his home. His elder brother drew closer, running at an alarmingly fast pace, and then leapt into his arms in a tight hug. The blonde would never understand how somebody so much older than him could ever be so much shorter, and yet still almost bowl him over.

Prussia reached up and ruffled his hair, shaking it loose from the tight bonds of hair gel and allowing it to fall untidily over his eyes. It was annoying. Why did he do that, to feel superior?

"I missed you, bruder," said the albino with an enthusiastic smile. "What took you so long getting home? You finally tap that cute Italian ass?"

"Nein, I did not," Germany replied through gritted teeth, his smile slipping away. "I have no idea what you are talking about, so-"

"Yeah, right!" Prussia said with a snigger. "Don't try to hide it, li'l bro. I've seen that way you look at him, it's like you wanna get into his pants. And I don't blame you, I mean, who knows what that guy could do with his-"

"That is enough!"

The shorter man took a stunned step back.

"Jeez, bro," he said, "I didn't mean to-"

"I understand that you did not," said Germany in what was probably supposed to be a reassuring tone, but he was too angry for it to be convincing. He tried and failed to stifle a yawn.

"Awwwww, is my widdle bwuvver sweepy?" Prussia cooed, ruffling his hair again.

"A little," Germany admitted with an indignant frown. "I think I shall take a shower and then retire to bed. I would appreciate it if you do not steal my clothes or towels this time."

"I won't make any promises," said Prussia, "but are you ever gonna show me those wicked scars I know you've got?"

"Nein." Germany entered the house and continued walking, trying to ignore his pestilent brother.

"Aw c'mon, I bet they're totally badass."

"They are painful and I will not show them to you."

"If you don't show me I'll make a new rule that you have to walk around the house shirtless for a week."

"Fine, I will simply tie a blanket around my neck."

"What, like a superhero cape? But that's fun! And you hate fun stuff! And you know, this is all time you could be spending showing me those scars even though I know they can't look as awesome as me-"

"I SAID NEIN!"

Having finally reached the bathroom, he entered and was very pleased to be able to slam the door in the other man's face.

Once inside, he collapsed against the door and slid to the floor, officially mentally exhausted. He buried his face in his hand with a heavy sigh of relief, glad to finally be alone.

'Maybe I was a little harsh on him,' he considered. 'I cannot blame him for being curious about my wounds. He is mein bruder after all.'

He started to pull off his clothes.

'I can't let him see,' he thought. 'He would blame himself for it. He's too egotistical for his own good.'

Once he was down to only his cross pendant, he stepped into the bathtub, pulled the translucent plastic curtain across and turned on the taps.

The hot water pouring down onto his face felt nothing short of amazing, like it was flushing new life into his body. He ran his fingers through his hair, noting the strange contentment that was brought on by the sensation of the scalding hot H2O burning his scalp and the roots of his hair. He wondered if he should turn the temperature down a little, but the water just felt so good right now that he wished he could stay in there for ever-

-and then the water started to wash over his back.

Germany's spine suddenly became straighter than a rod, his muscles contracted involuntarily as pain shot through his body. Through a combination of gritting his teeth and trying not to scream, along with more water, he managed to overcome the agony and continue washing himself.

He didn't want to turn off the water, but eventually he found the willpower and started to reach around beyond the curtain for a towel.

There wasn't one.

"Bruder," he said, "if you are stealing my towel, you should know that I will personally-"

He was.

Germany could see, quite clearly, his brother holding the towel he was going to use and looking at him through the curtain. The expression on his face was one of shock and horror, his eyes quivering as though he were about to burst into tears or start screaming, or maybe a combination of the two.

And then the younger man realised that his back had been to the door for almost the entire time he was in the shower.

His scars had been on full display.

The absorbent cloth fell out of Prussia's limp fingers and he turned and walked – or rather, stampeded – out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

"Bruder," Germany tried to say. "Bruder, wait-"

But he was gone.

Germany eventually found his brother sitting on his bed, hugging his knees and staring blankly into space. He looked up at the now fully-clothed blonde, who was shocked to see that his eyes were watery and tearful. He blinked, several drops expelled and trickling down his cheeks in the process.

"Bro," he choked, "West, I… I didn't think-"

"Bruder," Germany sighed, and he sat down on the edge of Prussia's bed, the frame creaking slightly under the weight of his muscle. The other man didn't move beyond a slight twitch of his fingers.

"I knew they'd be bad," he said. "You told me how horrible that kee-shun was, but I never thought… West, those are huge."

"I know," Germany said flatly.

Prussia swung his legs over the edge of the bed so that he could sit next to the larger man.

"I should've protected you," he said.

"Bruder-"

"I should've been there for you, West! Couldn't I have done something to protect you? I should've gone with you, I should've- I could've done something to guard you, to-to keep you safe! I'm a goddamn Teutonic knight, aren't I? But no, I sat here at home like a mug and I waited for you to get back, but you didn't and I assumed you were finally banging Italy, but then the days turned into weeks and I-"

"Bruder, not even the awesome you could have spared me from the wrath of Atlantis," said Germany, placing what he hoped was a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder. "Consider it a miracle that I am here at all. Had it not been for the intervention of the young Grim Reaper, I am certain that she would have taken my life in a heartbeat."

Prussia nodded in understanding.

"Why'd she lock you up?" he asked. "Couldn't she have just eaten your soul when she got you?"

"I think she wanted to play with my mind," Germany explained. "To seed fear and paranoia in my head before killing me. And it worked: I have never been so terrified in all my life."

"You said she tried to feel you up."

"I didn't say she tried."

They sat in silence for a moment, trying to regain their respective composures.

"West?"

"Mm?"

"What were you doing, anyway? Why were you going out?"

Germany clenched his fists on his lap, his face flushed with hot blood. In any other situation, his brother would have started sniggering and making fun of him.

"I was planning to admit my feelings to Italy," he confessed. "I wanted… I wanted to tell him that I love him. And I managed, but I was a coward and could only speak in my native tongue. He was confused. When I tried to explain what the words meant, that's when-"

"When she…"

"Ja."

Prussia fell silent, clearly trying to think of something else to say.

"Do they hurt?" he asked.

Germany bowed his head, knowing that he didn't have to speak to make his reply clear. His brother pinched his brow, trying to ignore the tears pouring down his cheeks.

"Shit," he swore in a cracking voice. "What kind of stupid bastard can't protect his little brother?"

"You should know I am not a child anymore," Germany chided him, and then placed his other hand on his shoulder to look the man in the eye. "And I want you to listen to me well, älter bruder, when I tell you that this was not your fault."

Prussia could take no more. With an audible sob, he pulled his little brother into a hug.