#hetalia poly ship week 2021

[betty-bourgeoisie]

Alfred: If I was president, Emil would be the first gentleman

Alfred: and sense Leon is also dating Emil, he would have to be the first gentleman once removed

[koolkat9]

Hetalia Poly Ship Week 2021: Day 1

@hetalia-polyship-week

Prompt: Movie Night

Relationship: BFT+England, implied germano

Word Count: 694

Let’s Go to the Movies

For Arthur Kirkland, Friday nights used to be quiet, consisting of himself, a book, and some tea. It seemed to be the perfect way to end an otherwise long and stressful week. But in recent years that plan changed drastically.

He still couldn’t believe he was in a relationship with three of the loudest and most annoying men in history. Francis, though always there, never failed to get him going. Antonio, with who he shared many years of violent altercations, but also found extremely attracted. And Gilbert, who he actually didn’t find that annoying (other than his issue with controlling his volume) who complimented him in a way that he actually believed. Why he fell in love with them was a complete mystery (not). They couldn’t be more different, but somehow, someway they made it work and Arthur found himself enjoying the time they spent together.

Friday nights became movie nights for the four of them, alternating which house they went to each week. Though Arthur usually didn’t care for the movies the other three chose, he still went for the cuddling, the way all of them seemed to be able to quote the movies word for word in silly voices, the occasional snide comment/bickering, the snacks. Basically, he loved just being there with the ones he loved and the ones who loved him in return. He never admitted any of that to anyone, even his lovers, but over the years of them dating, Arthur was pretty sure they had picked up on it. 

“Are you ready to go mon lapin?” Francis asked, coming behind Arthur and wrapping his arms around the Brit’s waist.

“Mhm. Just finishing up packing our snacks.”

Francis had come over the night before. It had become a regular occurrence in the past century or so for the Frenchman to randomly show up at Arthur’s house (even pre-dating their romantic relationship). At first, it used to annoy Arthur, but now he couldn’t imagine it not happening. 

“Bon. We have a bit of a flight after all.”

“Yeah Yeah. Get the car started, I'm just about done.”

---

Antonio was already at Gilbert’s by the time they arrived in Berlin. Luckily Ludwig was staying with Savino that weekend, so they had the house to themselves. Still, Francis and Arthur found Antonio and Gilbert cuddled up under a blanket downstairs. That was their spot Arthur supposed, though he did prefer upstairs as the screen was larger and the furniture and bit more comfortable. 

“So what’s on the list today?” Francis asked, taking his seat and throwing his legs over the other two’s laps. 

“Oh I got it all set,” Gilbert beamed, “I’m thinking of a Disney night. We got Snow White, we got Cinderella, Sword in the Stone for you Arthur, Pirates of the Caribbean, Tangled, Hunchback Notre Dame, even The Black Cauldron!” 

Francis, Antonio, and even Arthur found themselves smiling at how excited their Prussian lover sounded as he listed off each film. They all liked Disney movies to some extent, but it was Gilbert who was the hugest fan.

After grabbing some popcorn and drinks, Gilbert popped in their first film before joining the other three on the couch.

---

By the time the third film rolled around, Francis was already fast asleep, head laying on Antonio’s shoulder. Gilbert had rested his head on Arthur’s lap, trying to keep his eyes open. Arthur wasn’t making it easy however as he combed his hand through the Prussian’s hair, eventually lulling him to sleep. 

“Maybe this should be the last one,” Arthur suggested before letting out a small yawn. 

“I don't know if you’ll make it that long mi conejito.” Antonio brought his hand up to tuck a piece of Arthur’s hair behind his ear only for the Englishman to smack it away.

“I can manage just fine.”

Antonio smirked. “Fine, fine. We’ll see.”

Arthur only lasted five minutes before Antoni felt him lean against his side.

The Spaniard let out a light laugh, placing a kiss on Arthur’s forehead. “I’d call this a pretty successful movie night,” he whispered before turning off the t.v. and settling down to sleep as well. 

Translations:

Mon lapin and Mi conejito = My bunny

[koolkat9]

Hetalia Poly Ship Week 2021: Day 5

@hetalia-polyship-week

Prompt: Hurt/Comfort

Relationship: GerFruk

Word Count: 952

Restless Nights 

“Ludwig, you’ve been at it for three hours straight,” Francis pleaded, “Please just come to bed.”

“Just one more page.”

“You said that half an hour ago,” Arthur groaned. Normally the Brit was also one to overwork himself, but as soon as Ludwig tried to, he was on Francis’ side (for once), arguing for him to rest. 

“But…”

“No buts,” Francis tutted, getting up from the bed and wrapping his arms around Ludwig’s neck.

“Fine,” Ludwig sighed after a moment of consideration. 

He closed up his laptop, put his papers away, and joined his two lovers in bed. The two men cuddled up to him, falling asleep right away with Ludwig as their pillow. Said 'pillow', wasn’t so lucky.

His mind still raced with everything that still needed to be done before tomorrow’s meeting. There was the paperwork, calling his boss to go over the final arrangements, going over what he would say as he was the hosting, the list going on and on. Not to mention he had to be up by five if he hoped to have any chance of completing it all. Normally waking up an hour earlier than usual wasn't that much of a detriment to Ludwig, but the fact it was midnight and he was already restless meant a sleepless night was underway leaving him exhausted for tomorrow.

He closed his eyes, attempting to find some peace and ignore the intrusive thoughts. It was easier said than done, however. To make matters worse, he began feeling nauseous and he couldn’t tell if it was because he was coming down with something, he had missed dinner, or because he was stressing himself too much. 

Two hours went by and he still wasn’t asleep. Though he knew it was doing anything but help, every few minutes he couldn’t help but glance at the clock, counting down the hours and minutes until he had to get up.

“Ludwig?” a groggy voice came, breaking Ludwig away from the clock. It was Arthur. The German tried to pretend he was asleep, but Arthur, even in his half-awake state, knew better. “How long have you been awake love?”

“I haven’t slept…” Ludwig admitted sheepishly.

The Brit sat up to get a better look at his lover. The man was tense and though dark he could swear he saw the bags under Ludwig’s eyes. “Oh Ludwig,” running sighed, running his hand through the German’s hair. 

“I feel sick,” Ludwig said in a shaky voice, “my mind’s racing, it's two in the morning, and we...I have to be up in three hours...I...I just…”

“Shhh...it's okay darling.”

“No...it's not...there is so much to do...I can’t…” 

He couldn’t get the words out. Part of him didn’t want to, hating how vulnerable and weak he sounded. But things had been building up for weeks now and in his tired state, he couldn’t hold back anymore. 

“I know, I know,” Arthur murmured as he continued his soothing caresses, moving the hair out of Ludwig’s face. He reached over to Francis who laid asleep on the other side of Ludwig, shaking him awake only to have to hit him to get him up.

“What? Where’s the fire?” Francis slurred, propping himself up on his elbows. Without a word, Arthur nodded towards Ludwig and Francis got an idea as to what was wrong. 

During their silent conversation, Ludwig’s eyes had shifted towards the clock once more, it was now approaching three much to his dismay. 

Arthur, picking up on it, sat himself up to obstruct Ludwig’s view. “No. Looking at the clock is not doing you any good.”

“I-”

Arthur only ignored him. “Now how about some deep breaths. Francis, you go get us some water.”

“Look at you,” Francis teased, “big brother Arthur kicking in?”

“Shut up frog,” Arthur said through gritted teeth.

“I’m just saying. Be careful, that's my title after all.”

Arthur grabbed his pillow, chucking it at the Frenchman. “Get the damn water.”

Ludwig let out an amused huff as Francis exited the room in a grumble. It was music to Arthur’s ears (both the slight laughter and Francis’ frustration). With Francis having his task, Arthur turned back to his. 

“Now I’m keeping you guys up,” Ludwig muttered.

“Stop thinking about how late it is.”

“But-”

“No buts. No thinking, no worrying. Just focus right here, right now.” Francis returned a few moments later, a glass of water in hand. Ludwig took it gratefully, taking a little sip. He sighed as he brought the glass back down, his mind feeling a bit more clear.

“Are you overthinking again?” Francis finally asked. Ludwig nodded solemnly, slinking back down on the bed. His French lover gave him a gentle smile “Okay, how about this? We postpone the meeting-”

“No!”

“Compromise. We postpone it until the afternoon and see how you’re doing then,” Arthur offered instead. "That way you can get more sleep and have time to prep beforehand.”

“I-I guess that could work…” 

“See,” Francis cheered, pulling Ludwig towards his chest, “we figured it out. Now, like Arthur said, let’s focus on the present.” 

Ludwig felt another pair of arms snake around his waist and a nose buried into his neck. Arthur placed a light kiss there, making Ludwig relax against the hold the two men had on him. Taking Francis’ and Arthur’s advice, he decided to concentrate on aspects of the moment. The way Francis’ heart beat against his ear and the way Arthur’s breath tickled his neck ultimately put him at ease and soon enough he found his eyes slipping closed. He mumbled a small ‘thank you,’ before falling asleep completely. He’d have to make it up to them tomorrow.

[koolkat9]

Hetalia Poly Ship Week 2021: Day 3

@hetalia-polyship-week

Prompt: Space/Stars

Relationship: AmeLietmano

Word Count: 744

Star Light, Star Bright

“Where are we going?” Alfred whined for the third time in the past fifteen minutes. It was cute the first two times, but now it was starting to get on Savino’s nerves. If it wasn’t for Tolys gently squeezing his thigh he would have probably lost his temper. 

“We’ll see,” Tolys spoke calmly, “that’s the point of surprises.”

“Yeah but-”

“Alfred.”

“Okay…” Alfred sighed dejectedly, sliding down in the back seat.

“Trust me, Fredo, you’ll love it”, Savino assured him.

Tolys turned back towards Savino, giving him a knowing smile. The Lithuanian was quite perceptive, and Savino had a feeling he was catching onto his surprise. 

They had just finished up dinner and the sun was setting over the horizon. Though it was getting late, Savino had one more trick up his sleeve to impress his lovers. Though stars and space were Alfred’s thing, Tolys seemed to also enjoy a night of star-gazing. And who wouldn’t when you had someone as knowledgeable as Alfred to point out all the constellations and seemed to have a story for each one. A few weeks ago, Savino had found the perfect spot for such activities and was determined to share it with his boyfriends.

After another few minutes of driving, they pulled up to a small park that seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. Alfred peeked outside the window, confused by what they could possibly be doing here. 

Savino hopped out and headed towards the trunk to collect the blankets he had brought for the occasion. Alfred joined Tolys in surveying the area. The American looked up at the sky that was starting to give way to a canvas of sparkling stars, far more than he was used to. 

“Like the view?” Savino asked with a satisfied smirk. 

“It's...beautiful,” Alfred breathed without taking his eyes off the sky. Savino gently took Alfred’s arm and began guiding him towards a spot they could set up the blankets with Tolys in toe. They found a good one towards the middle of the park, right next to the small pond which reflected the skies beautifully. There seemed to be no one there but them which only added to the serene setting. “Was this the surprise?” Alfred asked, eyes sparkling.

“Mhm,” Savino hummed. “You like it?”

“I love it! You know me so well, Vinny.”

The Italian smiled before turning towards Tolys to see his reaction. The brunette looked at the skies with wide eyes though his awe was more reserved. Savino pulled the Lithuanian closer so they were all cuddled up together. Tolys made a surprised squeak before relaxing against his Italian lover. 

God, it was simple moments like this that reminded Savino just how lucky he was to have these men in his life. There was Tolys, patient, and understanding, who Savino could go to and talk about anything without being judged. Then there was Alfred’s unconditional and open affection that never failed to make Savino feel like the most important man in the world (well, tied with Tolys of course as Alfred loved them equally)(He was more than happy to share that title with someone he loved so much). And that was only scratching the surface. We’d be here for hours if they were all listed though.

As expected, Alfred began going on and on about the stars and constellations. Savino wasn't quite paying attention, though he had heard this spiel a dozen times. Right now he wanted to commit to memory how the moonlight made Alfred’s eyes shine, how he talked so quickly, but passionately about the topic, and the overall look of wonder that was painted across his features.

“I haven’t seen this many stars since I was a kid,” Alfred mused, tearing his gaze away from the sky to look between his lovers.

“Yeah...it's a shame you can’t see them like you used to,” Tolys agreed. As the lovers admired the sky and the temperature dropped, a chill ran through them. Eventually, it became too cold for their thin dress shirts and they had to call it a night (much to Alfred’s disappointment).

“How about we have some hot chocolate when we get to Savino’s?" Tolys suggested as they made their way back to the car. He hated to see Alfred pouting. 

Luckily, Alfred immediately lightened up. “Oooh okay!” 

Savino and Tolys laughed at their boyfriend's quick change of mood before linking hands for the rest of the way to the car.

[koolkat9]

Hetalia Poly Ship Week: Day 7 and 8

@hetalia-polyship-week

Prompts: Coffee Afternoon and Rainy Day

Pairing: GerFruk

Word Count: 721

Through Hell and High Water

It was a cold and rainy day, but Francis shouldn’t have expected any less when he came to London. He ran the doorbell to Arthur’s house for the third time before shouting, “Arthur, espèce de brute, ouvre cette putain de porte. Je me gèle ici.”

After another few minutes, he finally heard thumping from behind the door. It wasn’t Arthur, but Ludwig who answered. It wasn’t strange that he was there in the first place as the three of them were meeting for a date, but even Arthur wasn’t such a terrible host as to not answer his own door.

“Oh, Francis! Good, you’re here I was just about to call-”

“What’s the matter?”

Ludwig looked back inside the house before sighing, “Arthur’s sick. He’s trying to say he’s not, but he’s got a fever, his voice is raspy, he keeps sneezing. Looks like we’ll have to change our plans. It's not good for him to be out in this weather.”

Francis’ gaze softened at the German’s words. ‘Stubborn as always,’ he thought as he followed Ludwig inside.

“I’m sorry for taking so long to answer the door. It's just...Arthur…”

Francis chuckled lightly. “I figured. Don’t worry, I have some extra clothes here I’ll just put on.”

“Okay good. Also, I was preparing some tea for Arthur for his throat, but I could put some coffee on for us.”

“That would be wonderful mon amour.”

After finding some dry clothes for himself in the wardrobe upstairs, Francis headed to the living room where he found Arthur cuddled up in a thick blanket blowing his nose miserably. “Oh Arthur,” Francis cooed, taking a seat beside the sick man.

“Shut up frog.”

Ignoring the Brit’s protest, Francis wrapped his arm, pulling Arthur to his side. He lifted a hand to Arthur’s forehead, finding it burning. “Goodness, however did you end up this way?”

Arthur shoved Francis for that, but eventually settled back into the embrace. Francis couldn’t help but smile at the small affection that he never thought would be possible. He returned it by combing his hand through Arthur’s unruly hair and surprisingly the Englishman let out a content hum. They had just gotten comfortable when Ludwig called:

“Francis, could you help me with the mugs?”

Reluctantly, he got up, placed a kiss on Arthur’s brow, and headed to the kitchen. 

He was greeted by the distinct smell of coffee and Ludwig with two steaming mugs. “Yours and Arthur’s,” Ludwig explained as he handed them over. 

Francis was quick to take a sip of his. “Mmm just as I like it. But this is the Ludwig Beilschmidt, so I shouldn't have expected any less.”

Ludwig blushed at the comment. Francis leaned over, capturing the German’s lips in a loving kiss before returning to Arthur. 

Ludwig and Francis settled down on the couch, one on each side of Arthur. The Brit took his mug with a quiet ‘thank you’ and began sipping away.

As Francis drank his own beverage, his gaze shifted to his two lovers. Arthur had leaned against Francis once more and Ludwig, for once, was relaxed, arm draped across the back of the couch. Francis reached out, clasping his German lover’s hand as they drank. 

None of them spoke and instead, they let the sound of the rain fill the room. They had become comfortable just sitting in the same place, holding onto each other without words despite having only been together like this for a few decades. Such a short time for beings like them, Francis thought. 

He still couldn’t believe it had been only that long. Maybe the reason it felt like they had been dating much longer was because they were destined to be together. Arthur would laugh in his face if he ever said that out loud and Ludwig would say something along the lines of he was ‘dreaming’. 

Fate or not, it didn't matter in the grand scheme of things. Francis would continue to hold onto such dreams even if they weren't necessarily real. He could always fall back on the true and real fact, that against all odds, Ludwig and Arthur had wormed their way into his heart to the point that through hell and high wind, through freezing cold and rain, he'd follow them. Afterall he loved them and they loved him.

Translation:

Arthur, espèce de brute, ouvre cette putain de porte. Je me gèle ici.= Arthur, you brute, open the damn door. I'm freezing out here.

And that concludes poly ship week. This was so fun and I’m still glad I got to participate in it even when life got hectic. It was just what I needed to keep my spirits up in this trying time. Anyway thank you @hetalia-polyship-week for putting this even together in the first place!

[koolkat9]

Hetalia Poly Ship Week: Day 2

@hetalia-polyship-week

Prompt: Baking

Relationship: Gerfruk (my beloved)

Word Count: 950

Lesson Learned

“Non! He isn’t allowed anywhere near a kitchen,” Francis shrieked. 

For the past ten minutes, Arthur and Ludwig had been attempting to convince their boyfriend Francis to have a baking date. Baking was one of the only hobbies they all partook in so Ludwig figured incorporating it into their next date would be a good idea. He was shocked to find however that Francis, who had been friends with Arthur for centuries, was not aware of Arthur’s baking abilities and refused to let him near the oven.

Ludwig had discovered such talent after being invited over for afternoon tea only to find the Brit in the middle of making desserts for the occasion. He had also been hesitant when the cakes came out, but he had found himself unable to say no to the hopeful look in Arthur’s eyes as he offered them. They were actually pretty good. A little sweeter than he was used to, but then again Arthur had quite the sweet tooth so he figured it was just Arthur's personal taste. Had Francis never tried or even seen Arthur’s desserts despite all those years shared between them?

“I will admit I may not be the best cook,” Arthur began. Francis snorted which only seemed to irritate the Englishman further. “As I was saying...I may not be the best cook, but I can bake a damn good cake.”

What followed was an argument and given Francis’ reaction to their proposal, Ludwig expected it. The German sat back for a moment, seeing if Arthur and Francis could work it out, but when Arthur went for the Frenchman’s throat, Ludwig intervened. Taking hold of Arthur’s waist, he pulled him back and kept him in place. 

“Let me go,” Arthur screamed.

“Yeah no, we don’t need another war thank you very much.” When Arthur didn’t stop struggling or grunting, Ludwig added, “let me handle this.”

“Fine,” the Brit grumbled, though he relaxed in Ludwig’s arms. 

Ludwig turned his attention to Francis (though keeping hold of Arthur just to be safe). “He’s telling the truth. I was surprised too when I found out, but I can confirm he can bake.”

“Ha! See.”

“Not helping Arthur.”

Francis pouted. “Not that I don’t trust you mon amour, it's him I don’t trust.”

“How about this? We let Arthur bake while we watch to make sure things go smoothly. To prove to you that he can.”

The Frenchman looked between Arthur and Ludwig before looking over the kitchen in devastation. It may not have been his own, but Francis had this strange connection with each of their kitchens, and to think of any of them possibly going up in flames brought him distress. After sadly looking around the kitchen he sighed. “Fine, you’re lucky this is your kitchen Lud. I guess we’ll have to head out for some ingredients.”

---

Arthur was the first to burst through the door, bags of ingredients in hand while Francis hung back still sulking over the potential damage. Ludwig could only shake his head in amusement at these strange men. But as much as he found Francis’ pout adorable, he couldn’t let the Frenchman continue to go on unhappy (regardless of his belief that it was over practically nothing).

So while Arthur was busy getting started on his cookies, Ludwig turned his attention to Francis. He wasn’t the best at comforting people, especially someone as emotional as his French lover, but he was learning. Words didn’t usually provide comfort at least not when he was this worked up, so instead, Ludwig took a more hands-on, wordless approach. 

He tucked a strand of hair behind Francis’ ear before letting his hand slide down the man’s cheek. Francis relaxed ever so slightly into the touch. 

“Don’t butter me up,” Francis groaned, but nonetheless, leaned against the German. Ludwig let out a quiet laugh, his arm wrapping around Francis’ shoulder as he pulled the man in for a kiss on the top of his head. 

Unfortunately, a bang pulled them out of their little moment. Francis immediately went to go over to make sure Arthur didn’t mess anything up only to be pulled back by Ludwig. “He’s fine,” he assured the Frenchman, “He just dropped the bowl when he was getting it out.”

Francis looked at Arthur then back at Ludwig before complying and returned to his place in Ludwig’s arms. 

They went on like this until Arthur was putting the unbaked cookies in the oven. Francis occasionally tried to intervene at every little turn despite nothing prompting him to. Only to have Ludwig drag him back. When Arthur set up the oven, Francis was hovering over him to ensure he didn’t put it too high and/or start a fire. It clearly annoyed Arthur but he told Ludwig to ‘let him fuss. It's almost over anyway.’ 

The cookies came out about half an hour later, cooked to perfection without a flame in sight. Francis was gobsmacked while Arthur had a satisfied smirk on his face. “Th-They’re probably not even that good,” Francis sputtered out, grasping at any chance he had to be right. He took a cookie cautiously, sniffed it before taking a small bite. Shit, it was good. Arthur erupted into a fit of laughter at Francis’ crushed expression which just twisted the knife further.

“Now, Now Arthur,” Ludwig condemned, “you don’t have to rub it in.”

“Yes, I do. If the roles were reversed he’d be doing the same thing.”

Ludwig rolled his eyes as his lovers began arguing once more with Francis trying to defend himself, saying he would never and Arthur claiming the contrary. At least one lesson was learned and there were freshly baked cookies to share.

[koolkat9]

Hetalia Poly Ship Week: Day 4

@hetalia-polyship-week

I’m so sorry this is a day late. Life got a bit hectic and I had a bit of trouble finding my footing with uni so...yeah...this also turned out pretty long. But here it is. This was actually so fun to write despite life being crappy these past two days. Forgive this little rant, onto the fic!

Prompt: Fairytale

Relationship: GerFruk (though it's not super romantic, more like meeting each other for the first time)

Word Count: 2022

Author’s Note: This takes place in a world where all traditional fairytales exist, but what happens when characters of those fairytales collide one fateful night?

Francis-> Rapunzel (Rapunzel)

Ludwig-> Cinderella (Cinderella)

Arthur-> Beauty and the Beast (Beast)

At Midnight

God his feet were killing him. One night. One night was all Ludwig had asked for and now he was running through the forest with only one boot and tattered clothing. But that’s what he got for trusting a pesky fairy and losing track of time. Eventually, he came upon a clearing and decided to stop for a moment and gain his bearings.

He hadn’t thought this through. First, he didn’t keep track of the time, second, he ran without even thinking as to where he was going to go, and of all places, he headed towards the forest. Now he was lost in the middle of the night, freezing cold, probably a long way from any form of help. At least it was far better than home.

Which brought up another question. If he did find someone or his way back to town, where would he go? Home? Could it even be called that when you weren’t even welcomed there, no one to love and worked to the bone by those who should? But what other place was there when you were penniless?

Just when Ludwig thought all hope was lost, he heard a faint voice coming from the trees in front of him. Without any other lead, he began making his way towards the sound, hoping that whoever it was could help him find his way out of here.

He was led to another clearing, but in the center of this one stood a tower overgrown by vines and other plant life. Ludwig would have assumed it was abandoned if not for the blond man at the top singing away. It was beautiful, He was beautiful with long blond hair that went way past his shoulders. As he went in for a closer look, he stepped on a twig, snapping it and bringing attention to himself. The man in the tower immediately stopped, cowering into the stone walls, but still peeking out to survey the situation. “Who’s there?” he asked, voice wavering slightly.

Ludwig made his way right under the window so the man could see him. “I apologize for starling you, but I seem to have gotten lost-”

“Mon Dieu, what happened to you?”

Ludwig looked down at his ripped garments, ruined by his step-siblings before looking back up. “A little family altercation. But that doesn’t matter now. Do you by chance know the way back to town?”

The man���s eyes went wide. “There is a town near here?” he asked, sticking his head out the window.

“Uh...yes...I-I take it that means you don’t know.”

The man was silent for a moment, not looking at Ludwig and instead, his gaze was cast straight ahead as if in thought. “Hello?” Ludwig called to get the man’s attention again.

“Oh… sorry. Yeah… No, I'm sorry I don’t.” He looked around before continuing, “But I can’t just leave you out here like this. Give me a moment mon cher.” There was a light thumping from above then a loud crash signaling the fall of something. To Ludwig’s relief, it was followed by a string of French curses which let him know the man above was okay. Said man returned to the window moments later, throwing a thick rope down, or at least what appeared to be a rope. When Ludwig took hold of the rope he realized it was actually hair, the man’s hair to be exact. Ludwig looked up, given the man a concerned look.

“Don’t worry. I’ve done this dozens of times, I’ll be fine.”

With a deep breath, Ludwig began his climb with the man helping him by pulling him up. Soon enough he was safely in the confines of the tower.

“Couldn’t I have just used the door?” Ludwig asked.

“Unfortunately the stairs are broken. Oh please, come sit, sit.” The man took hold of Ludwig’s wrist, guiding him towards a couch.

Ludwig quirked a brow at the man’s answer. If the stairs were broken how did he get down? He couldn’t use his own hair, could he?

“So what should I call you mon cher?”

“Ah...ah...Ludwig. And you?”

“Francis! It's nice to meet you.” The man, Francis, was quiet for a moment before adding, "So there really is a village nearby?”

“Yes. Why? Have you never been?”

Francis gave a sad smile. “I can’t say I have. I haven't even been out of the tower since I was little."

Ludwig was taken aback by this. After a few moments of trying to reach for something to say, he figured there was nothing he could. "I'm sorry to hear that," he stated instead. "Not that it is the exact same, but I wasn't exactly allowed outside much either."

Francis sighed "My mother is just protective. I wonder if she's aware of how close we are to town. Perhaps that would make her trips shorter. Then again it's nice to be rid of her for a few days."

"At least she loves you. Mine only keeps me around to do the housework, cooking, and use as a verbal punching bag."

“Oh, Ludwig.” Francis gave him a sympathetic look before surprisingly pulling him into a hug. It was nice. Ludwig couldn’t recall the last time he had a hug. It was probably right before his brother died and all this hell began. Hesitantly, he returned the action, wrapping his arms around the Frenchman’s waist.

He smelled like lavender and his embrace was so warm that Ludwig felt himself melting against him. For a moment the thought of just staying here crossed his mind. The hug and thought were cut short however by the sound of crashing below.

Francis and Ludwig pulled away, looking at each other before turning towards the trap door that was supposed to lead to the stairs and entrance. They silently agreed to ignore it, but when another bang was heard below, Ludwig decided he should at least try to see what it was. He quietly made his way over to the door before carefully throwing it open.

Below was dark and he could barely make out the large silhouette of some creature below. It grunted as if in pain, its shoulders shaking.

“Get me a candle,” Ludwig ordered. Francis stumbled off the couch they were sitting on before collecting a candle and match and lighting the wick.

When Ludwig brought the light down to get a better look at the creature he found golden fur wrapped in what appeared to be a cloak. The beast snapped its head towards them showing a wolf-like face with fangs protruding. Ludwig fell back out of shock and a bit of fear. He had read about such monstrous creatures in books when he was a child and how they came to eat naughty children in the dark of night. Despite this, he found himself peeking down once more when he heard it whimper, ignoring Francis’ whispers of concern and protest.

The beast looked up at him with pleading green eyes, ears pulled back in discomfort. Upon further inspection, the blond fur was mixed with the crimson of blood. Something in Ludwig’s heart twisted and he was unable to leave it there. He looked around for a way to get himself down. “Francis, you think I could lower me down?”

The blond gave him a horrified look. “What the hell are you thinking? I don’t know what’s down there, but judging by your reaction it can’t be good. Mother told me all about evil creatures-”

“You don’t have to come down, but I’m going.”

Though he grumbled some more protests, Francis lowered his hair down, giving Ludwig a rope to climb.

The lower level was damp and musty. Ludwig held onto the candle tightly as he approached the figure which had frozen up. “Hello?” Ludwig called only to receive a ferocious roar in return. He stiffened, but pushed on. “I don’t know if you can understand me, but I want to help you.”

The beast cowered away. It seemed more scared than anything. “Wait right here,” Ludwig said before returning below the trap door. “Francis, could you get me bandages or something to wrap up some wounds.” Francis disappeared from above, but shuffling could be heard.

“I’m coming down,” Francis announced, reappearing. “I’m not letting you face this alone mon ami.”

Before Ludwig could protest, Francis was jumping down and Ludwig had no choice but to catch him.

This earned a growl from the creature. Francis hid behind Ludwig at the sound. “All bark, no bite,” Ludwig whispered in assurance. “Do you have the bandages?”

Francis handed some clothes over. Not ideal, but they’d work. Cautiously, he approached the beast who was cowering into the corner he was in. “It's okay,” Ludwig murmured, “we just want to help you.”

When he got closer, he noticed where the blood was coming from, a nasty gash on the creature’s side. Crouching down to get a better view, Ludwig pushed a cloth against it. The beast snarled in pain, but relaxed ever so slightly as Ludwig began to wrap up the wound. Francis had also made his way over, petting the head of the creature in comfort.

“It's like a big puppy,” Francis laughed lightly, earning a growl from the beast. The Frenchman backed up, scared it would snap, but it didn’t. Still, Francis decided it was best to keep his distance.

Ludwig only shook his head before finishing up the wrapping. “There. That should be good for now,” he sighed, standing up once more.

“Thank you…”

Francis and Ludwig look towards each other and then at the beast.

“This is when you say you’re welcome,” the beast grumbled, sitting himself up.

“You can talk?” Francis breathed.

“Yes. How rude of you to assume otherwise.”

For something so big and scruffy, the creature spoke quite eloquently though sharply and his accent posh and proper.

Francis went to bite back, but Ludwig interrupted. “So...What’s your name? Mine’s Ludwig and this is Francis.”

“Arthur.”

They lapsed into a silence, Ludwig and Francis trying to make sense of it all and Arthur glaring at the two. Once he had regained his bearings, Arthur pulled himself up and began dragging himself towards the door. “Well, you’ve been quite hospitable, but I really should get going," he noted sarcastically.

“Wait,” Ludwig said, jumping to his feet, “you are in no shape to be up.”

“And what do you suggest I do? Wait down here in the mud and mold. No thank you.”

“You could always stay upstairs with me and Lud,” Francis suggested.

“And how do you suppose we get up there without stairs?” Arthur sneered.

“Good point.”

The three returned to silence, thinking of what to do next.

Arthur sighed. “Okay… Here’s an idea. My castle isn’t that far from here. If you are so concerned about me you can accompany me there and as payment for your help you can stay there for tonight.”

Francis' brows furrowed, a hesitant look crossing his face. “Francis, you don’t have to come," Ludwig said. "I’m sure I can manage on my own.”

“Non. I’ll come. I’ve been locked up here far too long. Plus...it's not like I can get back up anyway and my mother will...she’ll be...so mad if she finds everything like this.”

That statement worried Ludwig far more than it should have. He tried not to think about it or the fearful look in Francis’ eye. Instead, he turned his attention to Arthur. He helped steady the beast, wrapping his arm (paw? claw?) around his shoulder to support him. Francis followed suit on the other side. With that settled they took off into the night, following Arthur's directions

It was truly a strange night. What was supposed to be his night to relax and forget about his troubles turned into one of adventure... which came with new troubles. But as Ludwig walked through the forest with Arthur and Francis he couldn’t help but feel free, relieved, like his life was changing for the better. He shook his head, telling himself he was just tired and everything was strange which lead to this feeling. Right now what mattered was getting Arthur to that castle.

(I may continue this once I finish up with ‘In the Deep.’ Gosh, so many fic ideas, so little time)

[koolkat9]

Hetalia Poly Ship Week 2021: Day 5

@hetalia-polyship-week

Prompt: Soulmates

Relationships: GerFruk

Word Count: 1425

Missing Piece

Arthur thought this was it. He and Francis. Soulmates. For better or for worse. Regardless if they liked it or not.

Despite how much time they had spent together it had taken them centuries to realize that whenever one of them drew something on his body, it showed up in the exact same place on the other. The mark of true soulmates. Perhaps that was why it took so long to notice it wasn’t just their drawings and notes appearing on each other’s bodies, someone else was connected to them too. 

These additional drawings and messages hadn’t started until recent years. At first, Arthur had figured that they were from Francis despite how random they seemed. Francis must have assumed the same as he never mentioned any of this to Arthur. But soon enough it became obvious the notes weren’t from the other. Francis had brought it to Arthur first.

“What do you mean ‘you don’t know how this works’?” Francis had barged in asking one day.

Arthur hadn’t even seen that message yet, but sure enough there it was on his wrist in handwriting that he was starting to realize looked nothing like Francis’. “I think you know as well as I that I didn’t write that,” Arthur replied calmly, though internally his mind was racing with questions. 

“Then who…”

“I don’t know.”

That day they monitored these notes. They went on to say things like: ‘I didn’t want to interrupt what you had going on.’ and ‘for a while I thought such things were silly or not for me.’ 

Francis grabbed a pen off Arthur’s desk and began writing. Arthur watched his own arm as Francis’ words spread across it.

‘We are not sure who you are, but we’d love to meet you. Soulmates aren’t silly, or "frivolous" as Arthur once told me.' That earned him a smack from the Brit. 'And soulmates are for everyone. You have a right to meet us.'

It took a few minutes before the person got back to them, but they wrote: ‘Okay. How about we meet at the little cafe in the meeting hall of our next meeting.’ So they were a nation, thank god. The small chance they were human had crossed Arthur’s mind for a moment, but by the mention of the meeting, it was obvious they were a nation and whoever this was clearly knew who Francis and Arthur were. 

‘Who are you?’ Arthur wrote. 

‘I’d rather not say. Not yet. Not until we’re face-to-face.’

“I think that’s enough for now,” Francis advised, arms wrapping around Arthur’s shoulders. “They seem nervous, no need to pressure them further.”

There were so many questions Arthur still had, but he agreed.

---

Francis and Arthur had come to the meeting together that day. At first, Arthur had argued that it was only because it was practical since they also shared a hotel room now when they came to these things (Arthur also called this practical). Decades later, however, Arthur became tired of such lies though he still avoided mentioning the truth. That was the thing about soulmates, when separated, there was this gaping feeling until you were reunited. 

Recently, he had been noticing that feeling when with Francis, but didn't dare say anything out of fear of hurting his lover's feelings. He liked getting on Francis' nerves, but that particular revelation seemed it would be pushing too far. But now knowing they had another soulmate, that feeling could be explained. He still wasn't ready to tell Francis about that empty feeling, however. 

Since they were going to the cafe to meet their other soulmate, Francis and Arthur figured they might as well pick something up for breakfast while there (perhaps even buy something for said soulmate and make it a little date). 

They were chatting over coffee and tea when the bell jingled signaling someone entering. Ludwig was coming towards their table, his normally stern expression replaced by a timid and uncertain one. Arthur was the first to notice him, his breath hitching at the thought ‘is it him?’ He taped Francis’ arm to show him. “May I sit here?” Ludwig asked as he approached them.

“Of course,” Francis beamed, but the way he gripped Arthur’s hand under the table showed how anxious he actually was. “It was you who arranged this in the first place correct?”

“Ah...y-yes I suppose that’s true.”

They lapsed into silence as Ludwig took his seat and ordered a coffee. Francis and Arthur looked between themselves, hoping the other had an idea of how to move forward. It wasn’t like Arthur never felt an attraction to Ludwig. He was pretty sure anyone attracted to men would have been attracted to Ludwig with his sharp blue eyes, well-kept, blond hair, and strong build. Francis had even said as much during one drunk game of “Fuck, Marry, Kill” with Antonio, Gilbert, and him (it took everything Antonio and Arthur had to hold Gilbert back after that answer). But having a Ludwig in front of them, as their soulmate hit much differently. 

Arthur looked over at the German, noting his tense shoulders and shifting gaze. He was just as nervous as them. He was about to say something, but Francis beat him to it:

“So...we’re all soulmates?”

“Seems like it,” Ludwig replied.

“How do you feel about that?” Arthur jumped in.

Ludwig's cheeks turned pink. His mouth opened slightly before closing as he reached for what to say next. 

“Well, I for one am delighted that it's you,” Francis answered instead. 

“M-Me too…” Arthur added more quietly. 

The German’s eyes lit up though it was clear that he was holding back. Francis picked up on the lingering tension and took hold of Ludwig’s hand. 

“So...Are we dating now,” Ludwig asked after a moment of just sitting in those words of praise.

“But of course,” Francis exclaimed, “count this as our first date mon amour.” Ludwig laughed lightly at that, sending Arthur's heart a flutter.

As their breakfast went on, the three men grew more comfortable with each other. The conversation shifted into discussing likes, hobbies, ideal dates, and the like. Arthur was surprised to find out that he and Ludwig had quite a few similar interests such as reading and theatre (though Ludwig liked being an audience member solely). 

“Mon Dieu I should have brought flowers,” Francis cried in the middle of their conversation on music. 

Arthur rolled his eyes at his lover’s dramatics, while Ludwig shyly smiled. “That’s not necessary,” The German said.

“No, it is! Don’t worry Arthur will remind me for our next date. Right mon lapin?”

“Sure...whatever.” 

Normally he wouldn’t agree to Francis’ antics, but since it was for Ludwig, Arthur was more inclined to help. Ludwig deserved it, especially considering that he wasn’t used to this kind of thing (as shown by his notes). He could relate to that having believed for the longest time he was undeserving of love as well and avoiding it at all costs. Arthur had also already begun thinking of his own way to welcome Ludwig into the relationship.

“Again...you really don’t but...thank you,” Ludwig said, lowering his head sheepishly. “Oh, I better get going.”

Francis pouted. “Why? we still have about fifteen minutes.”

“Francis, If Ludwig has to go he has to go. We should finish up here as well.”

“Oh, is someone trying to impress our new lover?” Francis teased with a smirk.

Ludwig and Arthur’s faces turned bright red. “I-I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Arthur sputtered as he got his money out to pay, “I always like to be on top of things.”

“Uh-huh. Sure. Well if you are so keen on this. Let us all go together.”

Though Ludwig protested, in the end, Arthur paid for the meal and drinks and after a bit more teasing from Francis, the three were on their way. While they walked, as if by some force beyond their control, Francis, Arthur, and Ludwig’s hands brushed together. Francis of course took the initiative and took hold of Ludwig's hand. Arthur, getting a burst of confidence ended up following suit. Although the action made Arthur tense up, he also felt incredibly warm and giddy from it. This was good. Better than good. 

Soulmates were missing pieces. For awhile Francis and Arthur were only part of a puzzle, both knowing something was missing, but too scared to admit it. But now it all made sense. Ludwig was that missing piece all along. Now together, they could feel whole.