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Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia Axis Powers

Age Nineteen (Part One)

Honeydew Melon Murder

College had ended for the summer, and Ludwig couldn't help the feeling of sadness that edged it's way into his heart as he drove back home to his small apartment, his old crappy car filled to the brim with boxes of his belongings.

Gilbert was off traveling for the majority of the summer, claiming that he wanted to see some 'awesome' sights with his boyfriend of four years. A few days ago, Gilbert has called Ludwig at an obscene hour to announce the fact that he was going to propose. Ludwig bit his lip as he said congratulations, clutching the phone until his knuckles turned white.

It was strange... being home alone after spending so much time living with someone. Kiku had managed to become his best friend, and Ludwig was close to praying that that didn't change over the summer. What if Kiku made a new friend? Someone with words or a soulmate? Someone who was actually worth something? Of course, Ludwig remembered that Kiku had sworn multiple times throughout the year that he didn't care about whether or not Ludwig had words, but it was hard to adjust after hearing so many cruel comments over the years.

Deciding that he needed to get out of the house, Ludwig stopped scrubbing at the dirty plate in the bubbly sink and dried his hands on the dish towel laying on the counter beside him. With a sigh, he walked over to the door and shoved his shoes on, grabbing his old wallet and the keys to his apartment before leaving.

The streets were filled with a plethora of tourists and random people who lived nearby, and the irritating high-pitched tune emitted from ice cream truck's speakers on every block. Kids were screaming and running around, chasing each other and jumping over the cracks in the sidewalk.

Ludwig was donned in a long-sleeved sky blue shirt, trying not to show his discomfort. It was blazing hot, and the blond could feel the sweat beading on his forehead and dripping down his face, damp and viscous. Gott, he hated wearing long sleeves. Or, more to the point, he hated that it was necessary for him to wear long sleeves. Without words, it was bad enough to see the expression on people's faces when they noticed, but now, with his scars –both new and fresh– it made the whole short-sleeve thing really unappealing. Ludwig had seen some of the looks that people at school would give him on the days he rolled his sleeves up in class.

The girls in class would bite their lips and whisper to their friends, trying to be discreet and failing, while the boys snickered openly, pointing with raised eyebrows. They all probably thought he was mentally unstable –which was close to being true. Ludwig knew he wasn't the most mentally healthy, but he wasn't about to be thrown in a white padded room.

Continuing his walk down the street, the blond tried to dodge the children who ran towards him, causing him to bump into an older man who yelled obscenities in surprise, knocking the flowers out of the woman's hands who had been walking next to him. The flowers crashed to the ground, yellow daisies trampled by the woman staggering to catch her balance. Of course, the pair of children who had been charging in his direction hadn't been able to stop in time, causing a small boy to crash into Ludwig at full force.

Strawberry ice cream and a sugary waffle cone slammed against his shirt, staining the soft shirt a dirty lilac. The cold dessert seeped through the thin fabric of the shirt, chilling Ludwig to the core. Pieces of the waffle cone stuck to his shirt, the ice cream acting like an adhesive. Fractions of it fell off in chunks, landing on his shoes and the cement with a slick plop. Grimacing as he felt the sticky ice cream drip down his shirt, he watched as the young boy stared at him in horror before promptly beginning to bawl his eyes out.

Tears gushed forth from the child's eyes, and a screaming whine pierced through the air. The young girl beside him, upon seeing her friend cry, also began to cry. Her eyes filled with tears, becoming glassy and watery before she too became a puddle of tears, her own ice cream cone still clutched tightly in her hand, the chocolate ice cream melting in the hot sun and dripping down her hand and onto her clothes.

Her shriek echoed through the summer air, acting as an alarm siren for every parent in the vicinity. Adults of varying ages came rushing over, none being the actual parent of the two children.

"Honey, are you okay?"

"Billy, where is your mother? I'll call her right away."

"Grace, sweetie, I'll get you a new ice cream cone. With cherries and sprinkles on top!"

A few concerned adults narrowed their eyes at Ludwig, as if it was somehow his fault that they were running down the street while holding ice cream cones and couldn't stop in time.

Trying to move away, Ludwig once again bumped into the same man he had earlier, who was currently wearing a large scowl on his face, eyebrows scrunched angrily. "Who the hell do you think you are, pal?"

The man had to be at least thirty, couldn't he at least behave like an adult? Didn't he see that it wasn't Ludwig's fault?

"You tryna start a fight or somethin'? Bumping into me like that. God, teenagers have absolutely no respect. Your generation is going to ruin everything. Were you raised in a barn? Didn't your mother ever teach you some proper manners?" The man spoke loudly, veins popping in his neck as his face turned an unattractive beet red color. "God, you have no respect for your elders." Overreacting completely, he left in a huff, stomping away as he cussed loudly.

Grinding his teeth together, Ludwig wormed his way out of the crowd that was forming around the children who were still bawling their eyes out, wiping their grubby, syrupy hands against their runny noses.

With an exasperated sigh, Ludwig thought briefly about just leaving and going home, but decided against it. Releasing the breath he hadn't known he had been holding, the German teen pulled his sticky shirt off, no longer caring about whether he had long sleeves or not, instead draping the light blue shirt over his right arm, cringing at the feeling of the cold and sugary fabric against his skin.

Luckily, back in high school, he had begun wearing tank tops under all of his shirts. He tended to go for runs after school, and doing that in a button-up shirt wasn't very practical. The tank top wasn't completely damp in the spot where the ice cream had been, and although he could feel the sugary residue on his skin, it was better than before.

Turning down the old brick sidewalk, Ludwig marched down the street, moving to avoid the small old ladies and newly married couples in matching pastel gingham shirts holding wicker baskets.

The farmer's market had always been Ludwig's favorite place to shop during the summer. The fresh air, the open stalls and gorgeous blue sky with the shining sun made the world seem perfect, even if that perfect moment only lasted as long as the transaction to pay for perfectly ripe peaches did.

Fruits and vegetables gleamed in the early afternoon sun. Strawberries and blueberries in small eco-friendly cartons sat beside each other, droplets of water misted across their vibrant skin. Honeydew melons were firm and ripe, eagerly awaiting the purchase of their consumers. Plums and apricots mixed together at one stall, mingling and dancing in gowns made from brightly colored skins. The scents from all the fruits swirled together in the hot summer air, creating a wonderful aroma similar to that of a mixed berry smoothie– if radishes and various vegetables were thrown in the blender with them.

All in all, farmer's markets were one of the best things about summer, Ludwig decided as he studied the cherries.

"They're perfectly ripe this season, best batch of cherries we've gotten in the last few years. Not too sweet, just right." The saleswoman said, a kind smile on her wrinkly face. "So, sweetheart, can I interest you in some?"

Ludwig nodded, something close to a smile twisting the corners of his lips as he took out his wallet. "Yes, thank you very much."

The old woman grinned, her sagging cheeks stretching with the movement of her lips and making the laughter lines around her eyes stand out. Adjusting her straw hat, she selected the cherries carefully. "Sweetheart, I'm gonna slip in some extra ones just for you, no charge." Her floral shirt matched the flowers growing in a small pot beside her stall. "Now, dear, I wanna see you back here sometime, alright? It's not everyday a handsome man like yourself comes along to purchase some fresh fruit. And bring a special friend too, someone to enjoy all the nice fruit with."

Ludwig smiled, handing the woman the money and accepting the bag of cherries. "I'll come back again." He confirmed, nodding his head.

She laughed, smiling once again. "Sweetheart, I'm gonna hold you to that. And next time you come around, I'll pour you some lemonade. Young people like you need refreshments to keep your energy up!"

With a nod, and another smile, Ludwig bid farewell and continued down the walkway, glancing at the other stalls. Gott, that old woman really was far too kind. Why she seemed to take a liking to him, he wasn't sure, but it was appreciated. She must've been in her eighties, but she was kind.

Stopping at another stall a ways down, he purchased a honeydew melon, which he carried in his left arm, cradling it to his chest like it was a small child. Usually he didn't care for honeydew melon, but today just seemed like the right day to have it.

Continuing on his walk, he gazed up at the sky, trying to memorize every detail of the impossibly blue sky and fluffy clouds. The sky was so completely and absolutely blue that it looked like the sky straight out of some crappy summer romance movie, where the characters just happened to stumble into each other on the street and then they'd ride their bikes to some park and sit under a large oak tree and have the most absolutely impossibly perfect picnic that somehow didn't include ants, crappy food or any other insect. And then, after the picnic, they'd stay in the park and one of their heads would be on top of the other person's thigh as they gazed up at the clouds and pointed out shapes. The boy would pick a flower and tuck it behind her ear, tell her that he wished summer would never end. And then they'd kiss. Movie over.

But real life never happened like the movies.

Sighing, Ludwig began walking faster, not taking his eyes off the sky. Perhaps he could pick up a cookbook with summer recipes and make something with cherries and honeydew melon that wasn't some crappy fruit salad. Pleased with his plan, Ludwig walked on, only to feel something –someone– crash into his chest, their head clashing against his collarbones.

The honeydew melon flew from his loose hold, rolling out of his arm and splattering against the hard sidewalk, tan skin ripped open like a murder victim, revealing the gory insides of pale green flesh and small seeds.

Tilting his head down to look at the person who had just caused the death of his honeydew melon, Ludwig only just caught a glance of shining auburn hair, an obnoxious tendril sticking out from the rest of his hair, and shocked amber eyes.

Well, it looked like he'd have to get a new honeydew melon.

To be continued

Coming next: Age 19 part 2