Brother!Germany x Fem!Reader | hourglass

Germany, 1237*

.

"Vatti!"

The aging blond stiffened, unused to hearing his youngest son yell. Ludwig was usually so placid and quite, unlike his elder brother that rampaged around their Romanesque and Gothic house with its pointed arches, ribbed vault and flying buttresses*. Tucking a golden strand behind his ear, Gerhart crouched down before his son.

"Vhat's the matter, Ludwig?" he asked.

The boy panted, pale cheeks flushed from running through the long, winding halls of their house. He looked to be about twelve, small and scrawny in stature, but he was much older than that.

"There's a child!" he announced, messy blond hair falling in front his blue hues. "A little girl! She says she is Berlin, Germany's Capital."

Gerhart smiled softly, resting his hand on Ludwig's shoulder. "Then treat her kindly. Capital's don't get the same respect as countries do so don't make that mistake and undermine her. Capital's are important, don't forget that."

"Vhat?" Ludwig said, bright eyes narrowing. "Vhat am I supposed to do vith a little child?!"

"Don't vorry, I'll help you raise Berlin into an honourable Capital," Gerhart said. "Being in charge of a young life is hard but don't fret. You'll be an excellent example for her, von't you?"

Ludwig nodded, eyes shining with determination. "Ja! I vill be a good Big Brüder!"

.

"Uh, Hällo," Ludwig greeted. "You're the Capital of my country. I'm sorry I didn't greet you earlier; I vas scared."

He fiddled with the ends of his shorts, feeling ashamed that he'd tried to run from his responsibility earlier on. But he was a mature Big Brüder now, in charge of a small child that was only newly formed as a Capital. He would try his hardest to raise you well and make you strong and polite. He hoped he would made his father proud by making you happy.

"So you are Deutschland (Germany)?" you asked. "I have been told much about you by my other Big Brüder."

Dread sunk into the pit of Ludwig's stomach.

"Gilbert got to you first?" he asked, wondering what Gilbert could have possibly said to you. He hoped that the hyperactive teen, even centuries older than Ludwig was but he only looked to be about eighteen, hadn't tarnished your mind already. He wanted to be the one you looked up to but what if you idolized Gilbert more - you weren't even his Capital!

"Jä," you said, nodding. "He's annoying but funny too."

Ludwig sighed in relief.

"He is a lot to handle so don't spend to much time vith him, okay? You need to stay by my side because I'm going to raise you into a strong Capital that others vill envy!" he declared.

You giggled.

Having been seated on a stool as Ludwig approached you, you hopped off and waddled over to him on stubby legs. He was so long and lean next to you that you couldn't help but throw your arms around him, hugging his legs and nearly tripping him over.

"Ich liebe dich, Brüder! (I love you, brother!) I know you're going to be the best Big Brüder ever!"

"Not as awesome as me, kesesese!" a voice announced.

Gilbert appeared and stood with his arms crossed, loving how Ludwig only reached his chest and loving even more how you barely reached his knees. He felt powerful, towering over his younger siblings. He cackled again, red orbs glinting with mischief.

"Go avay!" you said, letting go of Ludwig and standing protectively in front of the blond. "Luddy is vay more awesome than you!"

Gilbert gasped, like you'd impaled a sword through his heart.

"H - how could you say such a lie like that? Barely even formed and you're already brave enough to protect little Vest!" He stared you down, frowning. Then a grin broke across his face. "You're so awesome, kleine Schwester! (little sister!)"

"I know," you said simply.

.

Germany, 1921

"Vhat's that?" you asked.

Now, looking about twenty years old, only one human knew of how old you really were. He was your friend, someone you bumped into accidentally in a coffee one day, three years ago, and had become immediately entranced by who he was.

Max Ernst*.

He was so provocative, always shocking and astounding you with his insightfulness. He liked to explore the unconcious dreams of humankind and mock social conventions. He was the first human you'd encountered in a long time that challened the world like that. There had been a wonderful period of scientific discoveries where everyone was so curious and they called it "Enlightenment." Humans explored and experimented and disovered but now that had all changed. People settled into monotonous lives, taking for granted all the facts of life that their ancestors had proven and sometimes even died for because it was an unpopular opinion or went against the Church's teachings.

These people, Galileo and Marco Polo and even Columbus, had been acquaintances of yours.

Ernst reminded you of them, with his curiousity and wit.

"So is your long life really that boring that you'd rather be in the presence of an aging, pathetic human like me? Or have my charms simply swept you off your feet?"

You laughed.

"Please! As if I'd be interested in expendable little humans. You people, you die so quickly! You'd die just as our love was getting good. Some of you even speed up that process vith drugs und alcohol! Nein, nein. I am not smitten vith an old fart like you!" He chuckled, unused to a woman so blatantly honest in a world where education was strictly for males while women did assistant-type jobs or became housewives. "I'm only here to watch an artist vorking," you finished.

"Oh, so now you flatter me," he said skeptically. "After eating all my chocolates and knocking over my paint!"

You looked guiltily over at the paint splattered on the hardwood floor of Ernst's art room. It had been a complete accident. When you noticed that he had lovely Swiss chocolate resting on the table beside him, your excitement had caused you to hurry over and you knocked over a little tub of paint.

"It's your fault for putting it there, anyvay!" you huffed. "And you still haven't answered my question. The one about the painting. Vhat is it?"

"It's not finished!" Ernst said. "But it is the systematic exploitation of the coincidental or artificially provoked encounter of two of more unrelated realities on an apparently inappropriate plane and the spark of poetry created by the proximity of these realities.*"

"Looks like an elephant," you noted. "A mechanical one.*"

He sighed. "Don't you have someone else to bother?" He wasn't truly annoyed with you. You appreciated his art and acted like a witty yet respectful (seemingly) young lady. But he had work to do. "Vhere are your brothers?"

"Gil is out vith Toni und Francis. And you know vhere Luddy is. He's been busy vith that new Führer of his. They're trying to take apart the Treaty of Versailles right now. I heard Lud muttering something about disarmament or something. So now you're stuck vith me until Luddy or Gil comes home to keep me company."

"So the great Berlin doesn't have anything to do?" he teased.

"Der Führer doesn't trust me because I buy my groceries from an openly gay Jew. I told him that tasty fresh fruit and veg vas tasty fresh fruit and veg, no matter the seller, but that vasn't vhat he vanted to hear. Luddy now has to take over my job over my own city's people. As if Big Brüder needed even more work! Vhen that ugly mustache man is not around though, he lets me do my own papervork. He's never said it but I think that he doesn't trust that man either."

"It feels like something is brewing. A storm of some sort."

"Hmph. A terrible storm."

A moment of silence passed.

"So are you going to be my little assistant or just stand there, eating my Schokolade (chocolate), all day?" Ernst asked.

"Hm ... I think that chocolate's more fun than you, so I'm just going to keep eating."

"Just shut up and hand me that brush over there, the one vith the thick bristles - no, no, the one next to - yes, that one." He took it from you, dipping it into the red he'd made by mixing white and pink paint together.

"I miss the old days," you huffed. "Sure, there vasn't the same knowledge as there is today. And health care didn't exist und vars vere barbaric. But everything vas so much simpler. Und Luddy vas alvays by my side. In fact, he was around too often. I think he vorried about me like a father vould. He raised me, you know. Ever since I vas founded, he vas right there beside me. He's alvays so busy now, though!"

"He still cares about you," Ernst said. "Now let me concentrate and stop vhining like an old voman!"

"But I am an old voman!"

.

Time slipped through your fingers like sand moving in an hourglass.

As someone around for many hundreds of years, time has started to lack the same importance as it did for normal humans. They rushed about and valued punctuality in C.V.'s but their lives were so short - why worry so much?

"Ah, Entschuldigung! (Sorry!)," you said, stepping into the meeting room and feeling so intrusive and out of place.

Human representations of countries were lined up around a long table like soldiers. They all had paperwork in front of them and small glasses of water, though you suspected that Russia's clear liquid was probably vodka. Usually, you were never involved in these meetings. Capitals weren't the same as countries.

"I don't mean to interupt your hard vork," you stated, trying not to shy away from the many peering gazes and stand strong and proud like Germany raised you to be.

Arthur let go of his grip of Francis' tie and settled back into his chair, face melting into a friendly smile, as if his hand wasn't still sore after trying to strangle the Frenchman only moments ago. Bloody git deserved it though ...

"What a pleasure to see you again!" Arthur smiled, like the perfect gentleman. "You've gotten even lovelier since the last time we met. Have you brought Ludwig's papers?"

The blond German had his face buried in his hands. "I - I don't know how I forgot them! I never forget my papervork. I must of been tired or something."

"Either that or Feli's too distracting," you said, sending Ludwig a cheeky wink.

Everyone understood your hidden meaning.

Francis howled like a wolf, pride shining on his face as he patted Feliciano's back, "So you do listen to my talks after all, non? Honhonhon!" Antonio cheered, turning to Lovino; "Isn't their relationship so cute? Your adorable little brother is growing up and - " he stopped at the murderous look on the Italian's tanned face. From under the table, he squeezed Lovino's warm hand. "Ah, sorry. I'm an idiot. Our love is much cuter, fusosososo!"

Watching them interact so naturally made you feel lonely.
Capitals were much more isolated.

You guys didn't have meetings where you all met up and made friends with each other. Under the rule of your countries, you didn't have much of a role to play, other than signing some of your people's paperwork. Most of your friends were humans, that died so quickly, slipping away like sand in an hourglass.

Humans were so disgustingly perishable.

But you adored them anyway.

They were all you had; your Capital's people, Germany's people as a whole, the friendly people from Northern Italy or the farmers of Southern Italy, generous Spaniards, romantic French, polite English people and so on, including all other fascinating humans. Countries just weren't as approachable as their people were.

Handing Ludwig his work, you turned on your heel and slipped out of the meeting, leaving the countries to negotiate (which really meant that they would just argue constantly).

Stepping outside into the warm sunshine of a fine Spring day, you greeted the elderly couple passing by.

"Gutten Morgen, Herr und Frau Ebert! (Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Ebert!)," you called out.

They waved back, wrinkled faces smiling sweetly.

Oh, how you adored humans much more than countries.