Thanks for all the positive reviews, I really love them. It really gets me motivated for the next chapter! Anyway, I love you all, and enjoy.

Note: for all of you "concerned" about the side-pairings, don't be. This story will not focus on those pairings, and while it may be mentioned, it is easy to ignore. So please continue to enjoy this story.

Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia Axis Powers

Age Ten

Birthday Wishes

"So... any words today?" Gilbert asked cautiously on the morning of his tenth birthday, stirring the blond boy from his sleep.

The elder brother was desperately hoping that now that Ludwig was older, the words would have shown up. They had to show up soon, didn't they? They had to. His little brother's future all depended on whether or not he had words or not. His little brother was awesome (although not quite as awesome as himself) so of course he wanted West to get words. It was only natural for him to want his brother to be happy.

The birthday boy rubbed the sleep out of his pale blue eyes with the back of his hand before flipping arm over. Blank. Ludwig shook his blond head to answer his brother's question, although it had already been obvious from Ludwig's expression what the answer was.

To Ludwig, every day that went by without words was like getting hit in the head with a chair and then run over by a car. Every day that he heard kids whispering on the playground about their words, every time he saw a group of girls giggling about who they thought their words were about, or their talks about what they dreamed their soulmate would be like.

It all just felt like he was being stabbed.

On his tenth birthday, Ludwig thought that Gott must really hate him for making him be born without words.

"Bruder, I'm sorry," Gilbert apologized, putting a hand on his shoulder, "how about we make some pancakes and cook up some wurst? Sound good?"

Ludwig nodded, following his brother down to the kitchen. "Is Mom home?"

Gilbert froze in place as he was pulling down the pancake mix from the cabinet. "No, Ludwig, she's not. She's working again." There was a pause, and Gilbert could tell from the look on Ludwig's face –that the boy had tried to hide– that he was extremely disappointed by their mother's mother hadn't been home lately.

She had started staying out late, coming back only for a change of clothes before leaving again. She claimed it was work, Ludwig believed her. Gilbert thought otherwise, but said nothing of it. Where she had been going, neither of them knew. But she always came home in the end, so it was alright.

A moment of silence passed, and Gilbert cringed at the hopeless expression on his young face. Why wasn't she home? It was her special little Ludwig's birthday. She should be here. Both brothers knew that, but neither said a word about it. "How 'bout we add some chocolate chips to the pancakes?"

That managed to bring a small smile to Ludwig's face. "Really?" He asked, already excited for the sweet chocolate.

"Really really." Gilbert replied as he pulled down a small bag of mini chocolate chips. "You're lucky I'm the best brother in the whole world." A chuckle escaped his lips as he pulled out a mixing bowl, "I'm so awesome."

Ludwig gave him a strange look, as if to say 'seriously?'

"If you don't admit that I'm awesome I'm gonna eat all the chocolate chips myself."

Blue eyes narrowed, before he sighed in defeat. "Fine, bruder, you're awesome. Now give me the chocolate."

Gilbert smirked in victory as he passed his brother the bag.

While the albino teenager was in the middle of one of his rants about how 'awesome' he was, Ludwig wondered where his mother could possibly be. It was his birthday, after all, what else did she have to do that was so much more important than celebrating the day of his birth?

Then again, he supposed that his birth wasn't one that was worth much celebrating. But still, he had to admit that it would be nice to have his mother there with them, like every other year. She was going to come home again, wasn't she?

As they were mixing the pancake batter –Gilbert dutifully stirring and Ludwig throwing small handfuls of chocolate in– Ludwig bit his lip before sighing and asking the question that had been on my mind all day.

"Bruder? Will I ever get my words?"

Gilbert was silent for a long moment, and Ludwig's heart sunk. Realizing his mistake, the albino was quick with his words. "I mean, of course you'll get your words. Don't worry Ludwig, you'll get your words. Everyone has words, you will too."

"...You hesitated. You don't know if I'll get my words, do you?" The blond asked, his eyebrows crinkling as he looked down at his feet.

Another pause. "Hey, I'm your awesome bruder, of course I know if you'll get your words. And I say that you will." The sixteen-year-old boy said with a friendly smirk, before returning to his job of stirring the pancake mix.

On his tenth birthday, Ludwig lost hope in the promise he had made with Gilbert four years previous.

The pancakes were cooking in the pan, and Ludwig stood to the side of the stove, watching as Gilbert flipped them in the air with a spatula, praising himself loudly every time he managed to flip them neatly, and Ludwig was surprised that only three of them had fallen on the floor, although was pretty sure there was going to be a pancake shaped circle on their ceiling for eternity.

"West, get a plate." Gilbert commanded, holding a pancake on a spatula. The blond dutifully obeyed, holding a yellow porcelain plate for his brother to place the breakfast food on.

They ate in silence, and the pancakes were only a little bit burnt and slightly misshapen. Gilbert slathered his four large pancakes in maple syrup, butter and whipped cream, while Ludwig cringed at the unhealthy meal his older brother was creating. He preferred to go with just a minor amount of butter and syrup.

"Is there anything special you want to do today?" Gilbert asked, spearing a cut-up portion of pancake on his fork and stuffing it in his mouth. "I didn't really plan anything awesome. So whatever not-as-awesome thing you would like to do is okay."

Rolling his eyes, Ludwig cut up a section of his pancake. "There's nothing in particular. Maybe a movie?" Maybe he'd go on a walk later. Of course, he didn't really say what he wanted to do today. What he wanted involved him, his brother and mother being together and enjoying the day. But his mom wasn't even home, so it wasn't possible.

There was always next year, right? Or maybe she was planning something extra special and didn't want to spoil it. Or she really was working, and they'd do something together tomorrow. Ludwig didn't know which theory was correct, but he did know that he wanted his mom to come home.

The German boy had already discovered that his brother's promise wasn't true, so how could anything worse happen? Part of him wanted to yell at Gilbert for lying to him, but the more reasonable side of him knew that it wasn't Gil's fault. He had just been doing his job as a big brother.

He wouldn't get words. Not even Gilbert could convince him of that now. It really was hopeless, wasn't it? Shaking his head to himself, he jabbed the pancake piece with his fork before shoving it in his mouth.

After collecting his dishes and washing them in the sink, Ludwig settled down on the couch with his taller brother (who insisted on making an 'awesome' pillow fort) they began a movie marathon. Although the blue-eyed boy wasn't entirely paying attention to the German films playing on the screen.

Thoughts swarmed in his mind, and every sound would make him glance towards the direction on the door, hoping his mother would burst through the threshold with a cake and apologize for being late, holding out her arms for a hug. But as time went on, and the sky became dark, Ludwig's eyelids grew heavy and he found himself drifting off to sleep, leaning against the arm of the couch for a pillow.

But he didn't want to fall asleep, he wanted to stay awake for when his mother came home. It was his birthday, surely she'd come home to see him. Blue eyes closing to a shut, he stayed awake, waiting for the birthday hug that was sure to come.

On his tenth birthday, Ludwig's mother did not come home that night. And when she finally opened the door early in the morning, reeking of booze and barely managing to stand, she walked passed her son who had fallen asleep on the couch, not even glancing behind her before walking to her bedroom.

To be continued

Coming next: Age 11