A-Z German Brothers

B: Better

B: Better

The day was cold and a tall, muscled blonde sat in the middle of a war torn road. Buildings were smashed to pieces, some had fire still burning in them, and others had the black marks of soot. The roads were cracked, some with huge craters from bombs. Tanks and army trucks were burnt out shells or flipped over.

The man was dressed in the finery of a German officer. His uniform was green, boots black, pants green, a Luger at his hip. His green jacket with his medals were open, an Iron Cross flung across the street. He was still, and might even be taken at a glance one of the dead, for bodies littered the streets as well. His blue eyes were haunted, blonde hair an unruly mess. Pain was already shooting through him, from the heart outward.

The ruins he sat in were the ruins of Berlin. The man was Ludwig himself. The bombing of Berlin had just ended, the final deciding factor to the outcome of the war.

Gilbert was walking the streets. He would run if he could, but he was injured himself and was unable to. He really should have been inside with a medic, but he couldn't do such a thing when Ludwig was missing. His little brother mattered more than his stupid bullet wound.

Gil found Ludwig sitting in the street and hurried to him, sitting down in front of him, looking at with his sharp red eyes.

If Ludwig could have slumped his shoulders any more, he wound have. He felt the albino's gaze, and it hurt. This was miserable. A miserable defeat that would prove all too costly. He had failed so many people, himself included.

"What Gil?' he asked tiredly, not looking up.

Gil was not angry. Not at the moment. He had the moments of totally rage in the midst of the war. Oh he hated this blasted war. Ludwig might have started with good intentions, and even logical reasons, but hat spiraled way out of control. Ludwig had wanted not just his land lost from the Great War, he wanted the world. Gil had a problem with that. The desire for total power never ended well.

During the war he had thought about deserting Ludwig, saving himself and his land, joining the Allies, his friends. But Gil couldn't do such a thing to his little brother. After all, he had sworn to protect him and always be there no matter what. This stupid war was included in that. This was had hurt him, but it had hurt Ludwig.

Gil could see in his young brother face the shame, the fear. Ludwig finally was broken of his madness and was sane again. He was also broken and Gil had to pick up the pieces, before he picked himself up.

He shifted closer and put his arm around his little brother, who was now bigger than him. "Luddy we should find a hospital, you need rest." He said softly

"Don't call me that..." Ludwig said, choked up.

"Why not?" Gil asked in a soft and patient voice.

"It makes me sound like a little kid...not like a monster. Gil look at what I've done, I'm a monster..."

No one was around, and even if someone was, Gil was going to comfort his brother no matter what. No matter how soft it looked, no matter how much Ludwig griped about it, because Gil knew Ludwig needed it.

Gil hugged him, patting his back in a calming manner. Ludwig tensed and weakly protested the display of affection, but Gil would not be deterred.

In the broken Berlin streets, in the broken heart of Germany, the strong general, the Nazi commander, the monster of a man came undone. Ludwig shattered and fell to pieces, guilt shredding his heart, pain rolling through him like waves.

He had done so many terrible things. He did not listen to the wisdom of his older brother. In fact, he felt like he had betrayed his older brother. The land he called Germany, used to be Gil's kingdom. They shared Berlin as a capital. The country was Gil's as much Ludwig's, or so Ludwig felt.

He had dragged his brother into the war; it was not just himself he hurt, but his brother. Ludwig would spend years trying to repair all he had done. He made these bad choices and Gil would have to suffer with him....Austria and Hungary as well. What had he done?

All those men killed. Fatalities in the high millions. All the wasted money and resources, all the dead civilians. His crimes of war... he had done so many bad things. Things he truly knew better about. He listened to a madman over his brother.

He had been led so astray.

He had left his brother to be swept up in the Nazi regime; he had forced his brother to fight his friends. He had forced Gil to take sides again...

What surprised him most about that idea is that Gil had chosen him again.

He was not aware of his sobbing, not until he felt the tears soaking into his pant leg. He was aware of Gil, still there. He was half aware of his shaking arms going around his brother and sobbing into him.

Gil had given so much to him, sacrificed so much, and now Ludwig had done this to him. Ludwig cried, he did not care for one moment how weak he looked. He did not care how shameful it was for a commander of the German army to cry.

He did not care that he was hugging a male, because he was hugging his brother. His brother was the only one to see his tears. This would be a secret...

Ludwig choked out apologies and Gil just patted his back and comforted him.

Finally Ludwig moved back to look Gil in the eye "I am so sorry..."

Gil nodded "I know."

Ludwig bit his lip "What am I going to do?"

"What are we going to do." Gil corrected. It was part his country after all right? He would fix this mess with Ludwig.

Ludwig sighed "I don't know."

Gil held his tight as another fit of tears overcame him. Gil sat there, talking softly "It will be ok...it will be better. The country will get better, the world with recover. You and me, we have each other....we will get better."

They would get better. Ludwig had done horrible things to Gil when the albino voiced his mind, when Gil tried to tell Ludwig he was wrong. While Gil wasn't mad no he had been. He had scars, he held those memories to haunt his nightmares. He loved his brother still, but they were not the same. They needed to be fixed as well. They needed to get better before their lands could.

"When?!" Ludwig sobbed

"Soon." Gil said, brushing his hair with his hand "Soon enough...everything will get better. I promise...I know. It always gets better."

He said it with confidence and Ludwig believed him. They would get better. Together.

Well there it is! Thoughts?

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