Healed By Love

Feather/Gilbert-part 1

"Go ahead und choose, Kylie." She slipped in and felt around the bag, feeling something soft and wispy tickle her fingertips. She pulled it out—a yellow feather. Someone did a spit-take. The man who performed this act was heard gasping and coughing in the back, and everyone turned to the red-eyed, white-haired Prussian who stood. "Z-zat is mine," His voice came out choked, still coughing from before. "Hallo, frau. I—I'm Gilbert Beilschmidt." Gott…I have a child to take care of now. "Oh, mein Gott…" The blonde sighed, digging around the bag before coming up with his necklace. "Meeting adjourned. Take vhatever you put in ze bag, und I vill see you all in France next time…" "Good luck, love," Arthur said behind her, patting her back as Gilbert got his stuff together and came to officially meet her. "I'll, uh, try to visit, alright?" "Okway," she said softly, and began shivering again once the handkerchief was taken off. Gilbert came up, and she noticed a yellow bird perched atop his shoulder. So that was where the yellow feather came from! "Hallo, frau…I am ze Awesome Gilbert. Und zis is mein Awesome Gilbird!" He motioned to the yellow bird, and took the feather from her shaking hands. She nodded. "I'm Kwylwie." "You're cold—do you want me to, um, hold you, frau?" She paused, catching a whiff of beer and growing scared. She shook her head quickly. "Are you sure, Kylie? Here, at least take my jacket," He began to take it off. "N-no. S-smwells lwike Swhop mwan." "Um, love," Arthur's nose crinkled as he too caught a whiff. "He isn't going to hurt you. But Prussia, you do smell like beer. I-" He got closer to the Prussian so she wouldn't hear, "-I think the shopkeeper was drunk when he…hurt her, you know? That might be something you'd have to watch around her…" "Nein! I vouldn't hurt a girl! I swear!" Hungary "Humphed," walking off with Austria. "Nein," The blonde man, who had passed the bag around in the first place, said. "He is a dummkopf Kylie, but he . . . he was a good big brother to me." "He…he's y-youw're bwig brwother?" "Ja," Both German and Prussian answered. Gilbert smirked, "Und zat makes you an onkel, Ludwig." The German ignored this, turning back to her as Feliciano came up to stand behind him. "I am Ludwig…you don't have to call me onkel if you don't vant to, but P-Gilbert und I live together so ve vill see a lot of each ozer…" "O-okway." She didn't look anyone in the eyes, but leaned towards Arthur. He was the only one that she felt safest with, right now. "Darling," Arthur began, smiling. "They aren't going to hurt you." He turned to give the brothers a dark look as her gaze turned to her feet. "Will they?" "Nein!" Both exclaimed. She let Prussia pick her up, and he attempted to warm her tiny, bare, freezing legs and clothed body. He nodded to France and Spain, who looked on from across the table, as if to say that he'd talk to them later. They nodded back, leaving with patience. They could see that now wasn't a good time to fawn over her. Same with America and Denmark. Feliciano, who had been observing up to this point, said, "Ve…She's-a definitely sick now, Germany…Ludwig…Sorry…She's-a shivering!" "Ja," Prussia said, "Hey, you really don't need to be scared, you know. Ve von't . . . ve von't drink." The three countries watching all made a shocked sound at this proclamation from Prussia, of all countries. "If it means zat much to you," he gulped, "I promise I von't drink." Of course, the Prussian planned on drinking. His people, much like Germany's, would go insane if he stopped drinking. It happened with America, he recalled, as the Prohibition Act failed miserably. So, he could sneak one or two while he was away and out of her sight. It was, however, obvious that he couldn't do this (much less get full-on drunk) until she could trust him. He cleared his throat, "Now. Let's get you out of zose clothes, okay?".... She looked up at the Prussian, shivering violently as he finished washing her clean in the bathroom sink. He figured they should probably throw away the dirty clothes, as they barely fit her anyway. Tonight, he used one of Germany's extra undershirts as a blanket, and expertly swaddled her up in it. Her new Onkel Ludwig was sitting with her curled up in his hands until Gilbert came out and took her himself. The three of them had eaten dinner already (they had asked some questions about her before it turned back into a comfortable silence), and decided to just go straight to bed. The flight left later in the afternoon tomorrow, so there was really no need to get up early. But it had been a long day. "So . . . two beds . . ." Ludwig scratched the back of his head awkwardly. Gilbert shrugged. "Ja, so? She vill sleep vith ze Awesome Me. Body varmth is ze best vay to keep you varm right now, anyvay," He booped her cheek, making her smile. "Ha! Zat's ze first time I have seen you smile, frau! You should do it more often you know, you look very pretty with one on. I vonder vhat your laugh sounds like?" That made her smile grow bigger. No one had ever called her pretty before! Then it dropped as he laid on his back on the bed, holding her above his body with outstretched arms. She began to shiver. "Kylie, I'm going to do somezing zat I have not done in many, many years zat vill make you both smile and laugh…" "Bruder?" Ludwig asked. "Put her—!" Gilbert brought her back to his face, blowing a raspberry on her little tummy. She squealed, giggling at the sensation as he kept her on his chest and tickled her sides. He was cackling right along, stopping after a few seconds to let her breathe. There was no need to get her riled up right before bedtime; even he was kind of tired. "Kesesese~!" "W-whwat—hwow dwid y-ywou mwake m-me l-l-lwaugh?" she asked, honestly confused. She had never felt that sensation before. Or laughed that hard, for that matter. "Vhat? Haven't you ever—mm," He stopped himself, realizing her abusive Caretaker most likely wouldn't have ever played with her. He broke her eye contact, looking to the side for a second before getting back up. He placed several of the extra pillows on the edge of the bed, which was against the wall, just in case one of them were to roll over. He did the same with putting a pillow against the wall. "Okay. Ve vill have to make you smile more often, frauline! Zat vas called tickling, by ze vay. Your smile is as awesome und pretty as mine!" He gave her a grin to prove his point. She grinned back, getting comfortable as he laid her on his chest, pulling the covers above the two. "Zere, is zat varm enough for you? Need another blankie?" "Uh-huh, I'm f-fwine," She had never known a man was capable of making her smile, or let her feel safe. Especially one who smelled like beer—the shower helped with that smell, though. "Gutten nacht, bruder. Kylie," Ludwig said, watching the two and taking the hint that it was officially bedtime. "Zat means goodnight," Gilbert smiled at her, turning off the light on his side of the bed and sending the room into darkness. Gilbird hopped on the pillow to nuzzle his master first, then quickly moved to Gilbert's chest to snuggle against her itty bitty body. "Ha! He likes you! Und Gilbird only likes awesome people! See, ve vere meant to be. Gutten nacht, Kylie. Sveet dreams." "Niwght-niwght," she whispered, feeling warm in his hold. "Thwank ywou."....In her sleep, she began to fidget and roll around. A nightmare was taking place, and she let out a cry of help every so often. Obviously, it was about shop man burst. Gilbird had migrated to the pillow Gilbert was sleeping on. Prussia himself was sprawled across part of the bed, jaw slack and one arm on his chest (that she had rolled off of), the other to the side she was on. In his own sleep though, that arm was accidentally pushing her farther away. With one more roll and push, she fell off of the bed. "OOMF!" she yelped when wrists that were already hurt broke her fall. Bruises on the rest of her fragile body screamed in pain, and on top of this, she was now confused, had no idea where she was, terrified from the nightmare, and the bit of pain from the impact with the carpet, she began bawling and sobbing from it all. Germany woke up first and jumped out of bed, followed by Prussia who nearly stepped on her. "Kylie?!" Gilbert immediately picked her up, rocking her in his cupped hands as Ludwig turned on a light. "Vhat happened? Did she fall off ze bed?" "I zink so, West…Ja. Definitely." He took one of her wrists gently in his large fingers, inspecting it and running to his brother's bag. "Vhere's your First-Aid kit? Zese should have been bandaged after bath-time." They wrapped her hands in bandages, and re-checked her wounded chest. She was sniffling now, and winced in pain when her Onkel Ludwig touched a sensitive bruise. "Sorry, liebe." Gilbert wiped a tear from her face with his thumb, and kissed her head. She was sitting in his palm, and he was on his knees. "Kylie, is zere anyzing you vant? V—water? Anozer blankie? Hm?" Germany couldn't help but notice and admire that paternal side Prussia never showed. To anyone. At all. Not since Germany was found by him, anyway, and he was still a young country. A very young country—he barely recalled the days of looking up to and completely relying on his big brother for survival, much like her own situation now. Prussia was a good big brother (…when it mattered most…), all those centuries ago. But like everyone in history, he had changed since then. He had lost that maturity he (sort of) had when raising the German, but he was shocked to see that familiar look in his brother's eyes again. That paternal look. Prussia cared for her, and really did want to help. She held out her arms and pulled herself into his chest, grasping fabric in those tiny hands and hiccupping. "Okay, susse. Come here, I got you…" He cradled her like she was the most precious jewel in the world, crawling back under the covers and giving his brother the okay to turn off the light. "It's okay now, ze Awesome Me vill keep you safe, alright? Do you know if you vere dreaming vhen you fell off?" She nodded, still hiccupping. "I-I was hwa-aving a b-bwad one, 'bout S-Shwop mwan." "Hey—Kylie?" "Mm?" She clutched his shirt tightly in her little fists, unable to let go, and buried her head in his chest. "You can never forget vhat I'm about to say, alright? Promise?" "Promise." "You voke up from zat nightmare, liebling. Und nightmares are just in your head, right? So, not only vill your Caretaker never hurt you ever again, but ve are going to Germany tomorrow. Now, Germany is all ze vay across ze world. It's far avay from your Caretaker, Kylie. You vill never see him again. Und he vill never hurt you again. Do you understand? I vill be your Awesome Vati, und you don't have to be scared anymore. You are safe, ja? You vill be ze Awesome Me's Awesome Kind. Zat means child, by ze vay. I'll take good care of you." He meant she was his daughter. She finally relaxed fully in his big, warm hands at these words. He was very nice—shop man never fixed her boo-boos after he'd hurt her, or the other Tinies. And even his voice, with that funny German accent, was made even sillier by that croak one has in his throat, right after waking up. It was soft and quiet, but still held that morning rust that made him sound nicer, in her eyes. "Wh-what's a Vati?" "It means Daddy in German! Now go back to sleep, okay? Here," He placed a pillow by each edge of the bed, and rolled over so you were between his body and the pillow resting against the wall. "Is zat better? Are you varm, sweetie?" "Uh-huh," And she meant it, too. She was curled up into his chest, still shivering. "Good," He kissed her head. "No more un-awesome nightmares, alright?" "What if th-they c-come back?" He kissed her entire tiny body, gently smothering her, smiling that kind of smile only a parent would show when they're absolutely in love with their child. It was a soft smile, one that showed only compassion and happiness, and one that she had never seen before. Not many people had ever seen this kind of smile from Prussia, as it wasn't a smirk or playful or flirtatious grin. He had a second chance to raise another child, and raise her the right way. He saw her as his daughter already—not a sibling, like Germany was. Although he had practically raised the country since he found him in 1866, they were so different. And they didn't exactly share any close bonds (which was totally fine with Prussia) like he was sharing with her right now. "Vell, I'll just have to tickle you until you're too happy to be sad, now von't I?" She giggled, and drifted off into a peaceful sleep. Safe in his arms. Germany, from his own bed, smiled with pride.