“…Ludwig?” Alfred tries again, tentative and a bit shy.
This time, Ludwig’s eyes blink up, and his expression changes into one of self-mortification as he closes his book. “Ah – forgive me, Herr Jones, I did not see you –”
“Nah, no sweat,” Alfred says, grinning and accepting the broad hand. “I understand.” I understand all too well, he thinks, but bites his lip before those words can get out.
Instead, he drops his eyes to the book in Germany’s hands. He frowns at the cover, trying to decipher the words and failing. “What’re you reading?”
“Hmm? Oh.” Ludwig holds the book up for Alfred to see. “Grimms Märchen –Grimm’s Fairy Tales.”
Alfred cocks an eyebrow, trying to imagine big, manly Ludwig reading stories about Cinderella and Snow White. “Light airplane reading?” he asks.
“I’m actually doing research,” Ludwig says, leaning down and tucking the book away in his carry-all. “I have a couple more books of folk tales and fairy tales from around the world.”
Alfred doesn’t speak; he sees Ludwig blush and look away before speaking.
“I…I want to try my hand at retelling those tales in a book of my own,” Ludwig says. “I figure – you know, since my country has such a rich legacy of fantasy tales that have been translated and told around the world….” He trails off, looks down at the gray table.
“...It’s something I think Feliciano would like,” Ludwig adds, quiet and shy. “I…I always thought those tales suited him more than the Bible. Flights of fancy and happily ever afters – that’s what Feliciano is.”
Alfred’s not quite sure what to say to that. He never really talked with Feliciano much, and he’s terrible at comforting people. Still he finds it within himself to dredge up a smile.
“I think he’ll like that,” he says, and thanks his lucky stars when Ludwig returns it with a slow upturn of his own lips.
“Mister Jones?”
Alfred turns his head and looks right at Heracles’ offered hand. Heracles himself tries to grin, though the smile looks wan and skeletal on that thin face. “It is good to see you again.”
“…You as well, Mister Karpusi.” Arthur stands and grasps the proffered hand, gentle so as not to crush the bones he feels through skin. “You’ve…changed a lot in the past few years.”
It’s the nicest way he can think to say it. Heracles’ eyes tell Alfred that he understands.
“Let’s go to baggage claim then, aru,” Yao cuts in, walking around the group and turning his head to talk to them. “I think it would be bad if somebody grabbed our bags by mistake, aru.”
“Right. I’ll take you there.” Heracles walks past Alfred, catching up to Yao. Lovino follows, sending Ludwig a dirty glare over Alfred’s head as he passes. Ludwig, Alfred, and Matthew make up the rear, waking in a very loose line as they speak to one another.
“How is the situation with Finland going?” Alfred asks, leaning over and speaking in hushed tones.
Ludwig grimaces and looks away. “Not as well as we want it to,” Ludwig answers. “Norway and Denmark are trying to negotiate, but Tino – something’s happened to him. He’s lost his….” Germany gestures as he trails off. “It doesn’t help that we can’t find Berwald or Peter.”
“But didn’t Tino attack Berwald in the first place?” Matthew asks. Alfred watches his brother run his hands through his hair and sigh. “I mean…they always seemed to get along so well….”
Ludwig is silent for a moment. “There are scars between them,” he says at last, “that we can’t possibly begin to understand. I think it was only a matter of time before Tino reacted to that bitterness.”
Alfred grimaces and looks away. He doesn’t want to think about that, at least not right now. He doesn’t want to think about how the world’s changed. It’s too hard. He wants things to be the way they used to be –
“Ah!” Alfred yelps, and barely manages to avoid Yao. “Geez, Yao, what’s the matter with –”
Alfred trails off as he follows Yao’s gaze up to one of the televisions along the walls. It’s turned to a news station, and the anchors and reporters are speaking in rapid, clipped Japanese that Alfred can’t quite understand.
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But Hold Me Fast [7/?]
(Anonymous) 2009-05-04 08:12 pm (UTC)(link)This time, Ludwig’s eyes blink up, and his expression changes into one of self-mortification as he closes his book. “Ah – forgive me, Herr Jones, I did not see you –”
“Nah, no sweat,” Alfred says, grinning and accepting the broad hand. “I understand.” I understand all too well, he thinks, but bites his lip before those words can get out.
Instead, he drops his eyes to the book in Germany’s hands. He frowns at the cover, trying to decipher the words and failing. “What’re you reading?”
“Hmm? Oh.” Ludwig holds the book up for Alfred to see. “Grimms Märchen –Grimm’s Fairy Tales.”
Alfred cocks an eyebrow, trying to imagine big, manly Ludwig reading stories about Cinderella and Snow White. “Light airplane reading?” he asks.
“I’m actually doing research,” Ludwig says, leaning down and tucking the book away in his carry-all. “I have a couple more books of folk tales and fairy tales from around the world.”
Alfred doesn’t speak; he sees Ludwig blush and look away before speaking.
“I…I want to try my hand at retelling those tales in a book of my own,” Ludwig says. “I figure – you know, since my country has such a rich legacy of fantasy tales that have been translated and told around the world….” He trails off, looks down at the gray table.
“...It’s something I think Feliciano would like,” Ludwig adds, quiet and shy. “I…I always thought those tales suited him more than the Bible. Flights of fancy and happily ever afters – that’s what Feliciano is.”
Alfred’s not quite sure what to say to that. He never really talked with Feliciano much, and he’s terrible at comforting people. Still he finds it within himself to dredge up a smile.
“I think he’ll like that,” he says, and thanks his lucky stars when Ludwig returns it with a slow upturn of his own lips.
“Mister Jones?”
Alfred turns his head and looks right at Heracles’ offered hand. Heracles himself tries to grin, though the smile looks wan and skeletal on that thin face. “It is good to see you again.”
“…You as well, Mister Karpusi.” Arthur stands and grasps the proffered hand, gentle so as not to crush the bones he feels through skin. “You’ve…changed a lot in the past few years.”
It’s the nicest way he can think to say it. Heracles’ eyes tell Alfred that he understands.
“Let’s go to baggage claim then, aru,” Yao cuts in, walking around the group and turning his head to talk to them. “I think it would be bad if somebody grabbed our bags by mistake, aru.”
“Right. I’ll take you there.” Heracles walks past Alfred, catching up to Yao. Lovino follows, sending Ludwig a dirty glare over Alfred’s head as he passes. Ludwig, Alfred, and Matthew make up the rear, waking in a very loose line as they speak to one another.
“How is the situation with Finland going?” Alfred asks, leaning over and speaking in hushed tones.
Ludwig grimaces and looks away. “Not as well as we want it to,” Ludwig answers. “Norway and Denmark are trying to negotiate, but Tino – something’s happened to him. He’s lost his….” Germany gestures as he trails off. “It doesn’t help that we can’t find Berwald or Peter.”
“But didn’t Tino attack Berwald in the first place?” Matthew asks. Alfred watches his brother run his hands through his hair and sigh. “I mean…they always seemed to get along so well….”
Ludwig is silent for a moment. “There are scars between them,” he says at last, “that we can’t possibly begin to understand. I think it was only a matter of time before Tino reacted to that bitterness.”
Alfred grimaces and looks away. He doesn’t want to think about that, at least not right now. He doesn’t want to think about how the world’s changed. It’s too hard. He wants things to be the way they used to be –
“Ah!” Alfred yelps, and barely manages to avoid Yao. “Geez, Yao, what’s the matter with –”
Alfred trails off as he follows Yao’s gaze up to one of the televisions along the walls. It’s turned to a news station, and the anchors and reporters are speaking in rapid, clipped Japanese that Alfred can’t quite understand.
Re: But Hold Me Fast [7/?]
(Anonymous) 2009-05-04 09:46 pm (UTC)(link)