Two days later, there was another knock at the door. This time, Francis actually looked up, and his eyes widened when Antonio stepped into the room, giving him a tired little smile.
Francis slumped back into his seat but reached out from him nonetheless.
“Antonio…”
Antonio crossed the room quickly, wrapped Francis in his arms, and just held him, squeezing his shoulders and stroking his hair. “Oh Francis…” he whispered. Francis simply let himself lean against Antonio’s chest, taking comfort from his presence.
“What–” he started, but Antonio cut him off before he could finish the question.
“Gilbert asked me to come.” Francis stiffened, but Antonio pulled back and knelt before him, taking his face in his hands and looking at him intently. “I know you’re hurting, I know. Believe me, I understand. He looked nearly on the verge of tears. “How do you think I felt when those heartless bastards destroyed Guernica, for nothing but a fucking experiment?” Antonio leaned forward and pressed his forehead against Francis’s, his voice beginning to waver with emotion. “But there was nothing I could do because their friends had power in Italy too. They knew I would never betray Lovi and they used it against me when I lost it after the bombing.” He paused to take a few deep breaths and pull himself together. Francis kept silent and waited, lifting one hand to cover Antonio’s on his cheek and squeeze it gently.
“But it isn’t Gilbert’s fault, Francis,” he said softly. “It isn’t Ludwig’s either. Don’t you remember when he was a little boy? When he looked at us distrustfully but was really just jealous of Gilbert’s attention? When he was a teenager far too serious for his age but always respectful and proper? He wouldn’t do this by choice.”
Antonio moved his hands from Francis’s cheeks and held his hands tightly. “They’re victims of their governments just like we are. They’re not fighting for them; they’re fighting for their people. Their people who don’t deserve this any more than ours do.” The earnestness in Antonio’s eyes spoke more than the words, and Francis leaned back again with a heavy sigh.
“I still don’t want to see him,” he said after a moment.
Antonio nodded. “That’s fine. I understand. Just don’t let yourself hate your best friend, Francis. Or his little brother. They’re good men. They don’t want this. They’re only doing what they have to.” The pleading expression he fixed him with was so sincere that Francis couldn’t hold on any longer. He closed his eyes and nodded once.
“You’re right,” he agreed at last. “I cannot sit here and pretend there’s nothing wrong; that’s why I don’t want to see him, but I don’t hate him. I never will. Tell him that for me?”
Antonio smiled softly, reaching up to brush a lock of hair back from Francis’s face. “Of course.” He stood, pulling Francis into another embrace and pressing a kiss to his forehead. “Take care, Francis. If you ever need me, just call, okay?”
Francis gave him a weak smile and nodded. One more squeeze to his hand and Antonio was gone, and Francis looked to the window once again, turning over Antonio’s words in his head. -------------------------- -Spain did not fight in WWII but was Axis-sympathetic under Francisco Franco. -Guernica is a town in Basque country in northern Spain, bombed in 1937 by the Luftwaffe.
Well there it is! I hope OP isn't disappoined, and I hope everyone else enjoys!
This was really interesting. I feel for all of them - they're all stuck in their own sucky situations, and there's nothing they can do about it. It felt very believable, too - France furious at Prussia, Prussia trying to stay friendly, and Spain caught in the middle.
Also, I like this interpretation of Vichy France, too - prisoner in his own home, no control over what's happening to his land and his people. Poor France.
I actually really liked the mention of PruAus - because Prussia's right, that was a low blow, and the fact that France was willing to go there shows just how much stress he's under and how much pain he's in.
And lastly, Spain's comment that they're all victims of their government? Love it.
Thanks so much for this, a!a. I like this interpretation, and it's really great to see Spain and Prussia involved, too. I had fun reading.
OMG..OMG...so good! Sooo cute! The BTT or better yet BFT (the Bad Friends Trio suits them better because although they were very good friends once and are now in modern times, they really did do horrible things to each other)
Awwwww...Spain comforting France just like when France used to comfort/help him when they were up against Britain and the Netherlands. It also shows how much Spain forgave France after Napoleon's treachery. Loved their characterization! You handled it so well! A very good balance between "I'll always be your friend but can't bear to see your face right now". Well done!
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Love Thy Enemy (2/2)
(Anonymous) 2012-03-04 12:32 am (UTC)(link)Francis slumped back into his seat but reached out from him nonetheless.
“Antonio…”
Antonio crossed the room quickly, wrapped Francis in his arms, and just held him, squeezing his shoulders and stroking his hair. “Oh
Francis…” he whispered. Francis simply let himself lean against Antonio’s chest, taking comfort from his presence.
“What–” he started, but Antonio cut him off before he could finish the question.
“Gilbert asked me to come.” Francis stiffened, but Antonio pulled back and knelt before him, taking his face in his hands and looking at him intently. “I know you’re hurting, I know. Believe me, I understand. He looked nearly on the verge of tears. “How do you think I felt when those heartless bastards destroyed Guernica, for nothing but a fucking experiment?” Antonio leaned forward and pressed his forehead against Francis’s, his voice beginning to waver with emotion. “But there was nothing I could do because their friends had power in Italy too. They knew I would never betray Lovi and they used it against me when I lost it after the bombing.” He paused to take a few deep breaths and pull himself together. Francis kept silent and waited, lifting one hand to cover Antonio’s on his cheek and squeeze it gently.
“But it isn’t Gilbert’s fault, Francis,” he said softly. “It isn’t Ludwig’s either. Don’t you remember when he was a little boy? When he looked at us distrustfully but was really just jealous of Gilbert’s attention? When he was a teenager far too serious for his age but always respectful and proper? He wouldn’t do this by choice.”
Antonio moved his hands from Francis’s cheeks and held his hands tightly. “They’re victims of their governments just like we are. They’re not fighting for them; they’re fighting for their people. Their people who don’t deserve this any more than ours do.” The earnestness in Antonio’s eyes spoke more than the words, and Francis leaned back again with a heavy sigh.
“I still don’t want to see him,” he said after a moment.
Antonio nodded. “That’s fine. I understand. Just don’t let yourself hate your best friend, Francis. Or his little brother. They’re good men. They don’t want this. They’re only doing what they have to.” The pleading expression he fixed him with was so sincere that Francis couldn’t hold on any longer. He closed his eyes and nodded once.
“You’re right,” he agreed at last. “I cannot sit here and pretend there’s nothing wrong; that’s why I don’t want to see him, but I don’t hate him. I never will. Tell him that for me?”
Antonio smiled softly, reaching up to brush a lock of hair back from Francis’s face. “Of course.” He stood, pulling Francis into another embrace and pressing a kiss to his forehead. “Take care, Francis. If you ever need me, just call, okay?”
Francis gave him a weak smile and nodded. One more squeeze to his hand and Antonio was gone, and Francis looked to the window once again, turning over Antonio’s words in his head.
--------------------------
-Spain did not fight in WWII but was Axis-sympathetic under Francisco Franco.
-Guernica is a town in Basque country in northern Spain, bombed in 1937 by the Luftwaffe.
Well there it is! I hope OP isn't disappoined, and I hope everyone else enjoys!
Re: Love Thy Enemy (2/2)
(Anonymous) 2012-03-07 06:57 am (UTC)(link)OP
(Anonymous) 2012-03-07 06:19 pm (UTC)(link)This was really interesting. I feel for all of them - they're all stuck in their own sucky situations, and there's nothing they can do about it. It felt very believable, too - France furious at Prussia, Prussia trying to stay friendly, and Spain caught in the middle.
Also, I like this interpretation of Vichy France, too - prisoner in his own home, no control over what's happening to his land and his people. Poor France.
I actually really liked the mention of PruAus - because Prussia's right, that was a low blow, and the fact that France was willing to go there shows just how much stress he's under and how much pain he's in.
And lastly, Spain's comment that they're all victims of their government? Love it.
Thanks so much for this, a!a. I like this interpretation, and it's really great to see Spain and Prussia involved, too. I had fun reading.
Re: OP
Awwwww...Spain comforting France just like when France used to comfort/help him when they were up against Britain and the Netherlands. It also shows how much Spain forgave France after Napoleon's treachery. Loved their characterization! You handled it so well! A very good balance between "I'll always be your friend but can't bear to see your face right now". Well done!