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The ball was longer than he had expected.
Oh, how good it was to chit-chat and joke with the Empire and even if for just a short time- feel happy and free. But he couldn't do that for long. He had to come back to the conference, listening to everyone's complains on Prussia's new contract term.
He looked down at his watch in boredom.
8 a.m. ...
Many had gone home already...
And considering he was now alone and without any company since noone really talked with him just about business, he was debating to head home too.
He drank the remaining wein from his glass and took a nice French leave, leaving the ball, the aristocrats, everybody behind.
It was morning, but albeit the sun was up, the scenery looked as if it were dusk or dawn- not bright, but not dark night either. The horizont, the clouds were like a mistical scene- the mixture of red and gray.
In many places, the road, the ground and the branches of the trees were covered by a thin layer of snow.
As AH was driving, he watched the landscape, the still sleeping city in fascination.
It did not take him a lot of time to arrive home.
He opened the garage and parked in the car. With a tired huff, he got out and slammed the door shut. How he wish to be able to sleep just a little...
He walked to the other small door in the garage that lead in the house. He yawned and opened the door and got in.
However, he stopped for a moment and looked back at the white door suspiciously...
Was their door this plain white and had a copper like doorknob...?
But after a moment of processing, he just turned around, not caring and having energy to think about such imbecility early in the morning.
When he tossed off his shoes, he headed upstairs- towards Hungary's room...
He hoped he was sleeping still and havent waken up.
He was ready to open the door, but hesitated.
What if he wakes him up accidentally?
He had a lot of traumas already, he deserves to have a good sleep now...
As he made up his mind, he went downstairs and decided to make himself a coffee...
As the water was boiling, he tried to tear out the hair decoration off his hair. But with each attempt, he hissed in pain. The hair decoration looked like a tendril of silver leaves and tiny gem flowers. It was mesmerizingly beautiful, but when the Russian slammed him to the wall, and ruffled his hair, the flexible fake tendrils bent and deformed, becoming inseparable from his colourful hair.
He huffed and puffed as he gave up on it. He will need help in this if he doesn't want to loose half of his hair or shave his whole head...
The kettle made a click sound, indicating that the water had boiled up. He put the coffee in his green dotted mug and was ready to pour the water on it when his phone suddenly rang.
He pour the water on the coffee hurriedly, and with an annoyed expression, he walked to his phone on the counter.
It was Tsardom of Bulgaria...
But what she could want?
She left the conference earlier than AH, having enough of the 'fake ass bitches' as she had said it properly.
AH picked up the phone recluctantly.
"...Yes, Tsardom..."
At the other end of the line, Bulgaria's more than angry, but forcefully kind voice could be heard.
》Monarchy? Are you at home?? 《
"Yes... Wh-"
She didn't even let him ask, she spoke immediately.
》Very well, I have a surprise. Im outside your house.《 She said with full venomous voice and ended the call.
AH was frozen for a moment, the phone still in his hands, when he heard the impatient banging on his door.
His face paled, as he ran to the front door.
And there she was:
Still in her fancy green, gold, black dress, with a furious expression. Eventhough it could be seen that she was near to blow up from anger, she was smiling.
AH stepped before her in slight fear. It was life threatening to anger the Tsardom, everybody knew that.
But what did he do to make her this angry...??
"Dont ya miss something? " she asked sharply. But her statement wasn't even a question but a statement. "I think this belongs to you."
AH opened his mouth to ask, but all his future questions had got answered, when from behind her huge dress- Tsardom pulled before her Hungary...
He looked everything but good. His clothes were all dirty, his shirt puked, his hair all ruffled, on his lips dried blood and he was extreme stinky, smelling of perspiration, alcohol and weed...
AH was unable to form any words nor separate his mixed feeling of fury and worry.
"Do you wonder where I found them? " asked Tsardom with an evilly kind voice, as she pointed towards her car, where in was Bulgaria sitting with cried out, puffy eyes.
"They were knocked out completely alongside Yugo's kids- WHEN I CLEARLY SAID THAT YOU CAN'T HANG OUT WITH THOSE KIDS !! " she shout, turning back towards her car and Bulgaria with sharply narrowed eyes, who noticing her furious gaze- shrunk in his seat as much as he could- out of sight.
She shoved the stumbling, dead pale Hungarian forward, making him stumble to AH. Hungary was so unsteady that If AH hadn't caught him, he would have kissed the door-step.
"Mein Gott... " mumbled AH, as he helped Hungary stand. But as soon as the Hungarian was uprightly, his face paled even more and he ran to the nearest bush before the house, puking...
"It was good to see you again Monarchy, but now I have to discuss a few things with my son- again... " she spoke lowly, and spun around, going back to her car and slamming the cardoor in, loudly.
AH turned to Hungary who was near to faint again. He felt his- anger just like the water in the kettle- boiling, and with a sudden anger, he grabbed Hungary's arm, dragging him inside.
He didnt even take off Hungary's shoes, but dragged him just as he was in the moment- all dirty- to the bathroom and without listening to his protests, he forcefully washed his face with ice cold water until the colour- and life- returned to Hungary's pale face again.
Then, he tossed him a towel and pushed him towards the shower.
"Shower right now, I will bring in your clothes." he muttered sharply, and went out of the bathroom. Not so long after, he came back with Hungary's clothes, and put them in the bathroom.
He furiously went back to the kitchen, and sat down at the table. He was sipping his coffee slowly.
His fury gradually decreasing and fully getting replaced by worry and sadness...
Why would he do such things...?
Was he this much sad? This much hurt that he decided doing drugs...?
A tear drop- without his knowing slid down his face. This was the end of it...
This was the last straw.
It was now obvious what must he do...
He was waiting for Hungary patiently to finish, sipping his coffee-
quietly...
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It felt like heaven as the warm water touched his cold skin. It was refreshing.
Although, the nausea and throbbing headache still tortured him unmercifully.
He tried to remember what happened, but nothing kicked in...
His last memory was when he had sat down next to Serbia to smoke a weed cigar...
The following memories and pictures that came up in his mind, made little to no sense. Albeit, he mostly remembered just the extreme fear of death he had felt, a suspicious supposition engulfed his mind- that probably, something happened between him and Serbia. But even those little memory pictures of Serbia, were like a hallucination, making no sense...
He started to cry as he thought about what had he done... Why did he do it? It was a completely stupid, ridiculous, pathetic idea...
The first thing he noticed when he woke up was that Bulgaria's mother had been shouting with somebody, slaps sounds, and the next he had known was when she had dragged him and Bulgaria to her car...
He grabbed the towel, dried himself, and put on his clothes. But he didnt go out of the bathroom instantly.
He was beyond ashamed at himself and feared what will Austria-Hungary do if he walks out.
He would gladly recieve the slaps, the shoutings. But how AH's gaze had looked like when he saw him at the entrance, made his heart clench. AH's face was in full worry and disappointment...
He did not deserve his worry...
But he could do nothing now, he had to leave the bathroom eventually.
He wiped away his tears as he approached the kitchen.
When he was there, he stopped at the entrance and quietly looked up at Austria-Hungary.
"Ülj le." (Sit down) he said. Not angrily, not furiously, but softly, calmly...
It made Hungary shiver.
He caotiously sat down before him, not dearing to look him in the eye. Here he was, again.
"...Magyarország..." (Hungary) AH started quietly, softly pronouncing every letter, as if this was the most lovely word on the world. His gaze was continouosly searching Hungary's, who had fixed his eyes at the table. "...te tényleg ki nem állsz engem... Igaz ?" (You hate me to the core... Dont you?) he asked.
His words, like million knifes pierced into Hungary's chest. He snapped his gaze to his, his eyes all glassy. He couldnt say anything in panic.
He expected questions like 'why' or 'how dare you', and not to mention- even a few slaps.
But not this...
"Nézd...(Look...) I know about it. I know, you don't like me, you dont like here, you are hurt. Yet, all I do is that I make you even more uncomfortable with my confusing presence..." Said AH, his own voice trembling, tears gathering in his eyes.
"I understand that you can't process this situation, and you are sad. And its okay to be confused. You have to live with Austria as if he was your brother, and with me, with a partly stranger, with a fucking fusion in a new home... " His voice cracked, tears of sadness rolling down his cheeks.
"I love you Hungary still..." he spoke softly. "And thats why I see now, that the best for you, is to not be with me..."
Hungary's muscles tensed, the nausea hit him again with all its force. He was visibly trembling.
AH can't do it.... He won't do it , right??
He won't...
"I spoke with Budapest about this already. And he said- you can stay at his house, he has plenty of rooms, and he happily takes you in... I know you love him, and you would gladly leave. I wont force you any longer, to stay here." he paused for a moment, trying to sound kind and calm- not broken.
"I will call him and I'll help you pack some of your stuffs. You dont have to take everything with you, you can come back whenever you want, but this cant go any longer Hungary... I won't allow you to ruin your life because of me..." he whispered.
Hungary's breaths quickened and became rugged, as if he was choking. The memories when he had been left alone, the feeling of abandonment pressed itself so heavily on his chest that he thought it would suffocate him.
He jumped up with shaking legs and trembling hands. His eyes were glassy and preplexed.
He sobbed and took rugged breaths as he tried to form his words.
"B-but- but I p-promise I w-wont do anyth-thing like this ever again!!" he sobbed.
AH got up too and put one of his hands on Hungary's shoulder, his other hand on his cheek. The little Hungarian was shaking so much, his breaths so heavy.
"I know, Magyar. I am not angry at you. Calm down dear..." he said softly, wiping Hungary's tears away.
Then he forced a reassuring smile with his remained power and grabbed Hungary's hand carefully.
"Com' on sweety. I am not angry at you, but you have to understand that this cant go any longer. " he said as gentle as he could. "I will help you with the packing, com on."
He lightly pulled Hungary towards the stairs, but he yanked away his hand, out of his soft grip.
"N-no! Please! I w-will behave! I wont be a burden! " stuttered Hungary in panic.
AH tried to not to cry as he bent down to Hungary's level, grabbing his hand again, softly caressing it.
"You have never been a burden, dont dare to say this again!" said AH with a trembling voice. "You may not notice, Magyar, but you constantly hurting yourself. You aren't happy, you aren't well. You need someone, who you trust, who you can talk to, with whom you feel yourself safe. But this person- is not me..."
The tears, even if he didn't want to, fell from his golden eyes, like mournful streams.
He slowly got up again, trying to let go of Hungary's hand. But instead of letting it go, Hungary gripped it more tightly.
He locked Austria-Hungary in an embrace so tauntly as if his life was depending on it.
"No, p-please don't give me back!" he sobbed in sorrow and fear, tightening the hug, not giving a chance to AH to get his locking hands off him. "I dont want Budapest!" he exclaimed as an outburst.
AH was shocked at his words.
"No-? But I thought you love him..." he asked, flabbergasted.
"I want to live with you not with him! I will talk with you, I will tell everything to you, I will behave!" he chanted crazily.
"But Magyar," he spoke gently, while trying to fold off Hungary's trembling hands. "Budapest loves you, he w-"
"But I- I..... no! I want you, I dont hate you! " exclaimed the Hungarian as he choked on his breaths and tears. "I love you, dad, Im just- just , just dont give me back... please..." he sobbed.
AH was frozen from his words.
He had heard it right?
He thought he will be happy to leave... He thought he will want to leave as soon as he can... -but now, seeing him this broken, made him rethink his steps.
He lowered, and hugged Hungary back tightly, drawing cyrcles on his back, trying to calm him down and stop his shaking.
"Stop, dear..." he whispered to him, as Hungary started breathing so rugged from his tears like an asthmatic .
His grip tightened around Austria-Hungary, fearing he would loose him, he will slip away from his hands, he will disappear and never come back if he let him go.
"Nem... (No.) " he pressed out the first word that came up in his mind.
" No? " asked AH in a whispering, playful voice. "Okay then. Lets make a deal." he said, still drawing cycles on Hungary's back. "If you calm down, I will give time to this and consider the following. Okay?"
Hungary nodded into his chest, still sniffing.
"I didn't hear a proper answer." tickled his sides AH, making Hungary loosening his tight hug, and hardly supressing his faint giggle.
"Okay..." he mumbled now, quietly.
"And promise me, you never do such thing again, okay? If you are sad or something bothers you, me, my behaviour, your friends, your crush- anybody , just tell what hurts you and I will try to help, I wont judge you I swear, I just want you to be okay..." he said, wiping away Hungary's still falling rogue tears.
"Okay... dad..." he whispered. Albeit he let go of the hug, he was still grasping AH's dress with one of his hands, not daring to let go.
AH hugged him again tightly, then nugged him upstairs to his room. He waited Hungary to lay down onto the bed, now- making sure he will sleep and not party rocking in cloud-cuckoo-land with his drug addict friends...
"I will let you sleep now, but I will wake you up when lunch is ready, you wont gonna sleep the day away." he stated with ease and put down a 2 liter bottle of water. "And you will drink this now or in your sleep, I dont care, but you have to chug down the whole bottle till noon"
Hungary frowned, feeling the sickness of thinking about food and even the water. The only taste that was in his mouth, was the disgusting mixture of weed, tobacco and alcohol.
AH wrapped him in a thick blanket, making sure he won't be cold. Then he went to Hungary's window, which was much to his surprise- open. He looked out the window. Outside, enormous snowflakes were falling like huge cotton candies, slowly changing the scenery all white. He shivered as a sudden wave of cold air came in, but a smile of amusement from the sight- played on his lips.
He pulled down the window and put the heater on max.
Then, making sure again that Hungary was okay, he headed downstairs to take a nap too.
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It doesnt have a significance role in the story,
but the one who recieved the slaps from Tsardom when she went to the balkans early in the morning,
was not Bulgaria but Yugoslavia...
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