Winter's Sleep (A RusGer Fanfiction)

Chapter I: Growing Apathy

Today, too, that man was standing in front of his shop.

Ginger-coloured hair, eyes blue like the ocean, nonchalant, almost boyish smile thrown at everyone who greeted him; the man positively looked younger than his actual age. He was twenty-something years old, he believed, but probably not yet reaching twenty-five.

It was a mere guess because he recognized the subtle exhaustion that lingered for a millisecond whenever he puffed out smoke after the slow drag on his cigarette. No teenagers would have that kind of look. The one he had on his face was something that could not be achieved so easily without age.

He was jaded, Germany mused with a frown when he finally found the perfect word, but the mask he wore was flawless.

And it fooled him, too, at first. However, Germany quickly noticed the existence of his mask a few weeks ago when it was the third time he stood waiting in front of his shop.

Honestly, he never knew that he could make that kind of face. His whole face was lit up as someone approached him. Someone whose slick, long, dark brown hair fluttered in the wind, whose amber eyes held both the sense of coldness and gentleness at the same time, who always, somehow, forgot his wallet whenever he came to his shop without a fail.

And today, too, that same man came like he usually did every Wednesday afternoon.

The blue-eyed man's cigarette was immediately discarded to the ground, burning ember flickered out under the sole of his foot. Germany thought how it was a very him to do that and watched how the man's smile grew, blue eyes gleamed, and shoulders visibly relaxed.

The realization did not come too late for him. That honest face of the ginger-haired man was solely reserved for this man, and so did the small bouquet of aquilegia coeruleas he ordered from him several minutes ago.

Germany (pathetically) wondered if he had a chance at all. Well, he should have known that it would be next to none. The ginger-man was attracted to the mature-looking man, even if the other man seemed to be so blissfully unaware of his affection. Resting his head on his hand, he could only sigh behind the cash register as he watched them, or at the ginger-man who smiled and laughed at whatever their conversation might be about.

What a sweet laugh, all for the man who did not even realize the degree of affection the other held.

But he guessed it was fine. This stupid crush of his would disappear eventually. It would not linger in him for too long and he would not let it. He was not stupid enough to keep a feeling for a man who, well, definitely had zero interest in him. Or to females in general.

Germany sighed, tore away his lingering gaze from the two men outside his shop, and walked to the storage room; his fresh stock of flowers would not sort itself out. A stock of yellow tulips and white daisies came this morning, already kept in the cooler but yet to be placed into the display container. He could switch the aquilegia coeruleas with one of them – those lilies were starting to within from the lack of interest from his customers. Not that his customers were abundant in the first place too.

Running a flower shop might be the wildest idea he had amongst other better ideas according to Italy and Japan. He could work and earn better money at Italy's family restaurant, but he had no intention of closing this small shop, even after one of the proprietors had gone. Money was not really his problem – it somewhat did, but he was not too bothered by it.

A soft jingle of the bell had Germany picking up the tulips in haste as he exited the storage room and back to the shop area. It turned out that the customers who came were too familiar for his eyes to see.

The ginger-man and the mature man.

Both were his regulars, especially the dark-haired man, but they never came to his shop together and usually only used the front of his shop as their meeting point. So, it was kind of a (pleasant? unpleasant?) surprise for him when they came to his shop instead of leaving like they usually did.