This chapter has a trigger warning for references to assault.
Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.
SuFra: Gentle
When Berwald returned home, he could immediately tell that something was wrong. He tentatively opened the unlocked door and went in. The front room was a mess, and he could tell that a few things were missing. But that wasn't the issue.
Francis had stayed at home that day due to a cold.
"Francis?" Berwald called out as he started to run through the rooms, eventually ending up in their bedroom. Francis was lying on the bed, his face bruised and swollen, and his clothes torn. "No…"
…
Francis wiped his face for the umpteenth time that evening. The police had finished taking his statement and had gone, leaving Francis alone with Berwald.
He flinched when he sensed movement next to him, and when he looked up, it was Berwald standing there. His face was normally hard to read, but now, Francis could see the anger and disgust in those blue eyes.
"I'm sorry," Francis whispered. "Please… Don't be mad at me. I'm sorry."
"I'm not mad at you," Berwald muttered, before he sat down next to Francis. "I could never be mad at you about this."
Berwald handed something wrapped in a tea towel to him, and Francis sobbed when he realised that it was cold. He placed it against his black eye, and Berwald kissed him on the head.
Francis gasped when Berwald pulled him closer, until he was straddling Berwald's lap. Berwald closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around him, stroking his back. Francis sobbed harder and pressed himself closer to Berwald.
"I'm sorry I wasn't here to protect you," Berwald said. "I don't care about the things that were stolen. But, what they've done to you… They deserve to pay."
The anger and disgust that Francis had seen… It was not directed towards Francis, but the people that had hurt him. He continued to cry into Berwald's chest. Berwald's touch was gentle, even more so than when they were intimate with each other. And it was the gentleness that Francis needed, instead of rough hands holding him down and…
"Please," Francis whispered. "Stay with me."
"I'm not going anywhere," Berwald murmured.
That was enough, for now. Francis just wanted to hold Berwald and assure himself that the horrible experience was over.
The prompt was: 'Gentleness'. As I saw this prompt, an idea began to form. I wanted to have a character being gentle with a traumatised lover. I thought this would be a longer chapter, but I'm rather happy with it.