They say you don't truly know how much someone means to you until they're gone.
Austria had always known how much his older brother meant to him. Not many knew, but he actually looked up to Prussia.
Since he was a child.
But now Prussia was gone.
And Germany was leaving soon too. America would be here soon.
He sighed and shook his head. What were they going to do?
Europe looked at their family differently now. Like- like they were monsters.
They weren't.... He knew that they weren't.
He and Switzerland had put the door back up. But neither had the motivation to fix it yet.
Austria felt a hand land on his shoulder, snapping him out of his thoughts. "You shouldn't be up with that injured leg of your's."
"It's healing," Hungary responded.
He sighed and turned back to look out the window. "What do we do? Where do we go from here?"
No. He wouldn't cry, not here. Not in front of her.
Hungray was slient for awhile. She walked closer to him, "We stay strong and make it through this."
He scoffed, "That's easier said rhan done."
She gave him a sympathetic look, "Austria-"
"This is the second time Elizabeth!!!" He threw his hands in the air and walked away from the window, "The second time. The world..... everyone.... they're probably expecting World War 3 to break out in 20 or 25 years. They don't trust us. We're monsters to them..... They won't be as forgiving as they were during the first war. Some still hate Ludwig for that."
"I'm taking you all down with me," A voice from behind them said.
Austria quickly turned around, "Ludwig-"
"You're right.... it's because of me they see us as monsters." He sighed, "This is the second time..... And bruder took the fall for it." Germany walked out the room.
I'm the menace of this family.
Austria sadly looked down. He hadn't meant for his brother to hear that. But it was just......
What could they do now?
How could they bounce back from this?
During and after World War 1, the Germanics had gotten some rude comments such as, 'Control your brother' and 'You messed up while raising him'
But now, from during World War 2 to now it was, 'Oh look it's the family of monsters/Nazis' and 'Keep Germany on a leash' and 'We'll be ready for when one of you start World War 3'
The whole world was against them.
And Austria didn't know what too do.
But he knew one thing.
Hungary didn't have to be included in this.
She wasn't a Germanic, just a good family friend. She didn't have to stay with them through this. She had done that during the first World War and had experienced the same rudeness they did.
Not again. He wouldn't let her go through this again.
She had no ties to them in biological terms. Or in other terms.....
She's not blood.
"You should go talk to him," Her voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
He nodded, "Yes," Austria started to walk upstairs but than stopped, "You know, you don't have to stay."
She gave him a questioning look, "What?"
He didn't dare face her. He loved her so he had to let her go. No matter how much it hurt. He had to protect her from what was to come.
From how the world would treat his family.
"You should go," He muttered loud enough for her to hear, "You don't have to stay," He sighed, "You shouldn't stay."
"No!! We're going to be okay, we're gonna make it through this. I'm staying with you all, I'm not leaving."
Do it. For goodness sakes, just do it.
Don't make him say it.
It wasn't going to be pretty.
"Please, Elizabeth. You don't have to be dragged down like the rest of us this time. You don't have to be taunted again like we were after World War 1 and are now. It's going to get worst soon, Eliza please." He begged.
This was hurting him way more than her.
"No," She whispered while walking to him. She stood in front of him but he still wouldn't dare to look at her.
Please leave.
She hugged him, "You're my family and family stays together."
Austria's heart broke.
He had to say it, it was the only way for her to leave at this point.
It was for her own good.
"You're not blood."
He felt her arms drop.
Hungary looked shocked before her face started to fill with sadness, "I- I thought..... after all we've been through..... You...." She didn't know what to say.
After all, he was right.
She wasn't blood.
And water may be sweet but blood is and always will be thicker.
Blood was a bond.
That she didn't have.
Only few nations were actually blood related. Such as Ireland, England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales or the Germanics or for another example of a blood related family.
North and South America.
But even though many weren't related to any by blood. That didn't mean they couldn't create a family.
Just look at China and his siblings. Or England, France, and Spain and their kids.
That family was huge.
But apparently since she........ after all they had been through. Prussia had been her first friend? Nah... maybe frienemy. He had been with her when she thought she was a boy. And many years later she had married Austria, yeah they had divorced but still....
After all that, she wasn't blood.
She and Austria had raised North Italy together.
And after the divorce they still had remained close.
And what about when she stay with the Germanics during and after World War 1.
It all must have not mattered. Because after all of that, she still wasn't seen as blood.
Just an outsider
She nodded at him amd turned to leave, "Okay." She started walking to the door, "You know, I thought you were smarter than that Austria. I thought you knew that blood, for us nations, is just a bodily fluid. And it doesn't determine whose family or not."
Austria didn't say anything. He was still staring at the ground.
She stopped at the door, "And I'm sorry," Her voice started to crack and he finally faced her.
She had tears in her eyes.
"For what?" He asked.
"For intruding on you and your family for all these years." And with that, she left.
Austria sighed, he wouldn't cry. Not now.
"Why did you say that to her?"
Liechtenstein.
He faced his sister, "It was for her own good."
"But.... she is blood... She's our blood." Liechtenstein looked towards the door and suddenly ran out, "Hungary wait!!"
Austria watched her go, she was right. Hungary was blood. She was their blood.
But he still had to let her go.
Liechtenstein ran back in, she looked sad, "She's gone."
Hungary most likely ran, nations could run faster than humans. She was far gone by now.
Liechtenstein sighed and sat on the couch. She placed her head in her hands.
Prussia was gone.
Hungary was gone.
And in both cases, she hadn't said goodbye.
Austria sadly looked at his sister before walking upstairs to Germany's room. He knocked before entering.
"You let her go," His brother said, "I heard everything."
Austria nodded, "I had too."
Germany sighed, "I....... you're all are going through this because of me. This.... this isn't the first time. Any trust that almost everyone in the world had formed with me is gone and it's never coming back."
Austria didn't know how to reply. It was true after all. But he knew he had to say something.
"You're not a monster Ludwig, I've know you all your life and I can tell you that for a fact. Everyone makes mistakes-"
"That kill millions of people? Twice?"
"..........."
"You're trust in me is fading, you're afraid that this will happen again."
"At this point, who wouldn't be?" Switzerland's voice suddenly said.
The two turned to see Switzerland leaning against the doorway.
"You're scared too and you know it," He said.
It was true, they all were scared of this happening again. How the world would treat them after a third time.
If they all would be punished after a third time.
There was only so much their family could take.
They suddenly heard two voices talking downstairs.
Liechtenstein and America.
It was time.
Austria checked his watch. It was 5:45.
America had given them more time. But it still felt too short. Prussia wasn't here and neither was Hungary. They hadn't spent anytime as a family.
Germany got up and grabbed his bags before heading downstairs. Austria and Switzerland followed.
"Germany," America nodded, "Ready to go?"
Germany nodded and looked back at his family.
Well....actually those who remained in it at the moment.
Liechtenstein stepped forward and hugged him. Switzerland nodded at him. Austria put a hand on his shoulder.
"America," His older brother said, "Take care of him."
America nodded, "Of course."
This wasn't between America and Austria. It was between Alfred and Roderich.
As older brothers.
"I'm really sorry about this guys," Alfred said.
Mexico had been asked to join the Axis during the war. But luckily his baby brother and sister declined. He couldn't imagine, he didn't want to imagine, what life would be like if they accepted the offer.
He couldn't believe it when England made Prussia pick whether or not he wanted Germany to take the harsh punishment of being dissolved.
That was sick.
But Prussia took it for Germany.
And he understood why. After all, he was damn sure he and Canada would have done the same for Mexico.
"Let's go," America said. He watched the family say their goodbyes and noticed Prussia wasn't there.
Russia must have picked him up already.
Wait, Hungary wasn't there either. He knew she and the Germanics were close.
Maybe, she was was asleep or something?
Germany looked at America and started to walk to the door. America looked at Liechtenstein who had red eyes. She reminded him of Maria.
"Hey," He smiled, trying to get her to smile back, "This isn't goodbye. It's just see you later. You'll see your brother again."
She slightly smiled at that.
America turned around and started to walk out of the house with Germany following. "We're taking a private plane from an airport in London."
London.... Germany winced at the thought of it.
"My siblings will be flying with us."
Germany looked at him. With 3 parents, he had alot of siblings.
America saw the look and laughed, "No, not them. I mean, not all of them. Only Mexico and Canada. We're heading to North America after all."
Germany made an 'oh' look and got into the car.
Alfred climbed in and started it. Germany only stared at the house as the car backed out of the driveway and onto the street.
As the car ride went on. He tried to think but just didn't get it, America was the child of England and France. Two nations who he had hurt badly in the war and was the older brother of the Mexicos who had been asked to join the Axis.
Why was he treating him like this? Shouldn't he be harsh like how Russia was?
"I don't hate you Germany," Alfred suddenly said.
Oh, so apparently he could read minds.
"Even in all the sick and harsh things done in history. There was still good. In all of humanity's worst moments, the best of people showed after. What I'm trying to say is..... You're not a monster like others say you are. There's still good in you. I know it."
Germany shook his head.
Make me believe that.
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Okay, so when I said Austria loved Hungary earlier in the chap. I'm honestly not sure if it should be a romantic type of love or a close friend type. I do ship AustriaxHungary but I'm not sure whether or not to put it in the book. Oh well.
Oh. And i do believe America said was true. Even in all the bad humanity has done. There's still good out there.
Should I put quotes in this? I've been thinking of doing that for this book.