"Game On" -- Hetalia -- Prussia, M [For Hachimitsu Tea~!] (3/3)

[SterlingSilver]

A/N: Because the lovely Hachimitsu Tea has fulfilled so many of my drabble and art requests on her threads, I thought it was high time I returned the favor~! If you’re a fan of Hetalia, I recommend checking out her stuff because it’s fantastic >w<

Tea’s Art: http://www.sneezefet...showtopic=50012

Tea’s Drabbles: http://www.sneezefet...showtopic=50084

Without further ado, here’s my finished request for you Tea! I hope you like it >w< It takes a while to get to the sneezing because I decided to try my hand at a plot x’D. It kind of got away from me, so it’s split into parts x’DD. Also, does anyone else have trouble interchanging the country names and the human names? I do that a lot LOL.

Warning: A LOT of profanity xDDD..

~Game On~

Pairings: Prussia x Austria

PART 1

Everyone knew Greece’s mother, Ancient Greece, invented the Olympic games. While he wasn’t one to brag—at least not as much as others—Greece made sure no one was confused about the origins of such a majestic, elegant gathering of countries. It was one of the only occasions for all the nations, big and small, friend or foe, to come together in a temporary peace and watch their people play for glory, for gamesmanship, and for gold. The host countries always got an opportunity to show off their homes, and the visitors were never with a lack of accommodations and fine cuisine (unless England was hosting). Despite intense competition and hard feelings after the results, every single nation got excited about it. Except for a select few…

Prussia thought it was totally unawesome. Who cares about the shitty Olympics anyway? In the winter it’s too cold, in the summer it’s too hot, the venues are cheesy, the bars are crowded, and there was nothing to do but watch people prance around like they’re actually doing something important. Prussia knew competition – Prussia lived for competition. Hell, he had trained plenty of countries for war! And the Olympics aren’t a global competition—it’s a pansy show.

“If they wanna real show, they should unzip and start comparing warheads.”

“Gilbert!” Germany’s voice wasn’t shrill because it was never shrill. But it was sharp. Prussia, arms crossed as he slouched on the couch, rolled his platinum-haired head over toward his little-but-not-so-little brother. Germany’s blue eyes were narrowed as he folded a dress-shirt, laying it in a suitcase. It was his last one, since he had been practically packing for weeks now. Long trips required strenuous preparation. “The Olympics is a time of camaraderie. Get in the spirit.”

Prussia just rolled his eyes, sinking further into the cushions. “You wouldn’t know camaraderie if it reamed you up the ass.”

Germany frowned. It was rare that his brother ever got into sour, brooding moods. Prussia was usually loud, unflappable, and horrendously annoying. While Germany had trouble tolerating him on his best days, he preferred his happy brother to the angry person on the couch. He was like this every time the Olympics rolled around, no matter the season or host country. Germany knew his brother well enough to know why, but it wasn’t wise to mention it openly.

“Have you even started packing? We’re leaving tomorrow morning!”

Prussia leveled him with a glare that clearly stated, People as awesome as me do not need to pack anything.

Germany sighed, stuffing another shirt into his bag with more force than was necessary. “Clothes might help. We’ll be there for over two weeks, you know.”

Without looking over, Germany felt the air around his brother darken, like a storm cloud descending. Verdammt, he hated when Prussia was like this. His cold, silent fury was actually a little terrifying, and more than that, tiresome for Germany. Even more tiresome than when Prussia was in a good mood. Another minute or two passed without either of them speaking, with only the rustling of clothes and zippers for background noise. Finally, Germany slammed his suitcase closed. Prussia jumped a little.

“You better pack something because I’m not doing it for you, and I’m definitely not buying you any expensive clothes when we get to Netherland’s place.”

Prussia’s arms, already crossed, tightened across his chest, and then he rolled onto his side to face away from his brother completely. It wasn’t the most natural position, but Prussia would rather have a bit of back pain and numb limbs than look at his brother right now anyway. He could feel the prickle of something uncomfortable in his eyes and steeled himself against it. The great Prussian Empire did not cry.

So what if he never got to be in the Olympics? So what if he had to go every two years to watch his baby brother and friends compete while he sat in the stands always wondering what it felt like? Always wishing that for once, just once, he could have known the pleasure of the games. Could have been a part of it. One of them… but he never would, because he wasn’t a country anymore.

And damn if his eyes weren’t watering. Reaching up with a fist, he dug at the corner where the tears were welling and sniffled thickly against the tide. Whatever. He liked going stag. Even if he had still been a country, he wouldn’t have his people doing things like the Olympic games. To hell with it. He felt Germany’s eyes on his back and straightened, propping his cheek with a fist instead to try and keep up the pretense of not giving a shit. Because he didn’t. Not a single shit. Prussia sniffled deeply a second time, clearing his nose with a snort.

“And don’t forget your allergy medication either,” Germany grumbled. And even though both brothers knew those snuffles weren’t from any allergy, they were going to pretend they were. It both touched Prussia and enraged him. He could recite his little brother’s tones of voice like the procedures to clean a gun – they were engrained in him deeply, almost by instinct. And right now, Germany felt pity for him. No one patronizes Prussia. Not even his own brother, especially not his own brother.

So Prussia resolved to be an ass for the rest of the day.

He was an ass during dinner: “West, this wurst isn’t cooked through! How can you serve the awesome me undercooked meat?! I taught you better cooking than this.”

He was an ass later that evening: “Hey, you remember where my red shirt is? The one you hate… You threw it out? The hell?! That was my favorite fuckin’ shirt-.. It did too still fit me!”

He was an ass late that night (after some beer): “West, sing some karaoke with me. Come on, we’ll do ‘Deutschlandlied,’ it’ll be great.”

He was an ass early that morning: “Damn, West, you look like you didn’t sleep at all! You don’t want Feliciano to see ya like that, do ya?”

And an ass later that morning: “Can ya look through my shit and see what I’m missing? I always forget stuff. You should make me a list for this kinda thing.”

He was an ass at the airport, on the plane, and at their landing gate. Germany had refused Prussia any alcoholic drinks while in the air, which had led to a fit to rival a toddler. Because when Prussia really wanted to annoy someone, a lot of his shame evaporated, leaving his younger brother to sink red-faced into his seat. The scene wasn’t enough to get them thrown off the plane—in fact, plenty of the other passengers found Prussia extremely entertaining as he complained loudly to Germany. But it was embarrassing. Prussia managed to make a 54 minute flight into the one of the longest, most grueling experiences to date. At least Prussia was thoroughly enjoying himself.

Until, of course, they took a single step outside. Somehow, Prussia had forgotten that Netherlands was basically the green thumb of the world; gardening was his thing, and there wasn’t a single plot of grass that didn’t have a bright bloom growing on it. Even though Prussia had taken his allergy medicine just that morning – since summertime anywhere was hard on his hayfever – just looking at the flowers gave him a slight reactive itch within the bridge of his nose. Verdammt.

Germany noticed his big brother’s face drain of color (being an albino, it was pretty difficult for him to actually do that), and cast narrowed eyes across the landscaping near the airport. The sun was bright today, and if he squinted, he could almost see the fine particles of pollen in the air. And those were just standard potted plants; he could only imagine what Netherlands had planned for the venues he was actually showing off.

“It’s a good thing you packed your medication, otherwise you would – ”

“HEWAKTCHHOOOWEEYY!!” Prussia snapped double, stumbling forward, and Germany snatched him by the back of his shirt. Heart pounding, he glanced around at several of the surrounding people who had experienced similar terror. Prussia rarely gave audible indications of buildup, so you had to watch his expression to know if one was coming.

Prussia had felt it slowly dawning, so he had made sure to put on his grand old show for West and the onlookers. It was always fun to scare the shit out of some unsuspecting citizens. Hell, he terrified West’s people all the time; it was a blast. But also… it was sort of a way to convey to his brother he was doing all right. If he felt good enough to annoy people with his allergies, then West had nothing to worry about. And let’s face it, Ludwig worried a lot about stupid things. So he could think of each jarring sneeze as a gift from his awesome big bro.

“Gesundheit… Gut?” Germany asked his brother in shorthand.

Prussia paused for a second, taking a deep clear breath, and then pushed off his knees with his hands. “Gut.”

And Prussia really thought he was good. Yeah, the flowers were more obnoxious than him and sprouting all over the damn place… and yeah, Netherlands was probably going to have all his hosting areas outside so he could peacock around his stupid tulips… and yeah okay, it was going to be many horrible days and nights wandering around a country with nothing but pollen to breathe… BUT, and this was an important but, Prussia had a plan. Prussia knew what to do.

His allergy medicine wasn’t just any allergy medicine, oh no. It was super juice. You couldn’t just grab it off a shelf at a Wal-Mart. He got it straight from one of the best German allergists West could find, and he had to flash his prescription in order to get a bottle. He was pretty sure it was imported from some fancy-ass allergy boutique or something because it wasn’t cheap. Simply put, it was the shit. And even an entire army of pollen-bearing trees had yet to penetrate its herculean power, so it would be a cold day in hell before he – ….

“Scheiße…” Prussia stood in his hotel room, staring down at his shaving kit. West was inside the bathroom, taking a shower because he was a germaphobic idiot, so thank God for that. Because there was no fucking way Prussia could let him know about this.

“Scheiße!” He hissed it to himself, and once more for emphasis. The pill bottle was empty; he had forgotten to get it refilled before they packed. He had taken his last pill the night before, remembered there was none left, and meant to mention it to West so he could fix it… but that hadn’t happened, and now he was completely screwed. He couldn’t just grab it off a shelf at Wal-Mart, of course not. It just had to be a fancy-ass import-!

The flight back home was short, but West was such a stingy bastard. Because Prussia was mooching off him already, he doubted that baby bro would be happy about flying back home to pick up a stupid prescription that Gilbert should have filled days ago. Plus it was the damn Olympics. Missing it would bring “shame upon the nation” or some shit like that. Running a hand through his light hair, Prussia huffed a huge sigh.

…Whatever. The pill he took last night would hold him until this evening, and after that, he would wing it. He was Prussia. Not flowers, not trees, and not the devil himself (which was actually Russia, he suspected) would hold him down. Not again. If he had to be here, getting reminded over and over about what he was missing, then he might as well be miserable as hell. With any luck, his eyes would be watering so badly he wouldn’t be able to see anything. And the sinus headache should make it difficult for him to concentrate.

Yeah. Yeah! This was an awesome idea! He was a fucking genius!

~ ~ ~

“I’b a fucki’g du’bass, West.”

“What? Gil, did you say something? I can’t hear you!”

“Deverbind.”

Worst. Idea. Ever. Prussia was willing to admit that to himself, and not to anyone else. This was a new level of shittastic, even for him. Okay so, the actual plan was working – his eyes were shot, so he could hardly see the heads of the people in front of him, let alone what was actually happening on the field (the flower-sheeted field, for God’s sake). And his sinus headache was impressive enough to make even blinking loud enough to hurt. The problem was that his plan was the stupidest thing ever because this was torture. It was painful to admit, but there were some moments under Russia’s rule he would rather replay than endure another hour of this. Of course, the whole disaster hadn’t started out this way. Prussia had been optimistic about it to begin with.

- Flashback -

Early yesterday had been just fine. They attended opening ceremonies last night, met up with the Italians, ran into the maple-syrup guy and his loud American brother, swept up the Englishman, and even bumped into Antonio and Francis. They ended up all sitting near one another for the show, and Prussia had to admit that it wasn’t half bad. A lot of shitty flowers, but not bad. He had seen worse. And sitting near America, England, and Francis for it all had been a treat. It helped distract him from Feliciano and West being all cute. Don’t get him wrong, he was happy for his brother.

… but being alone on top of being at the Olympics was just too much. Not that Prussia, you know, needs people or whatever. Just couples are gross and annoying. Case closed.

So anyway, night was going great. After the stupid ceremonies were done and nations had finished clapping Netherlands on the back, everyone met up and went out for beer. Pretty awesome, right? Surprise, surprise ˗˗ half a beer in, his allergies started up. The scene wasn't anything unusual: Francis and England choking each other, America trying to drink Russia under the table, Antonio tipsy and grinning with an arm slung over a cranky Lovino, West struggling through a compliment while Feliciano nursed his mug of lite beer, the Nordics at their own table all tormenting one another (or having an orgy, who the hell knows), and a spattering of other nations all clinking glasses and arguing over who would win what that year.

Prussia felt the inklings of it on the way to the bar, but only now was the tickle really sinking its fuzzy fingers into his sinuses. It came over him so quickly, like a sudden updraft, only Lovino managed to notice the pinching of Gilbert's brows before the storm descended. The Italian placed a firm hand on the table to keep it from rocking while the Prussian swiveled to the side and sneezed powerfully toward the floor.

"AAHPSCHHOOOOEYY!!!"

Everyone knew what a Prussian sneeze sounded like, so there was a chorus of laughter, blesses, and even a few cheers with mugs raised as Prussia slowly returned to sitting position and rubbed a finger under his nose. Germany shot him a glare; the sudden noise had startled him and now he had a slosh of beer all over his pants.

"Kesesese! Not my fault you look like you pissed yourself, so don't b-.. b-.. HWAUPASCHHOOIEYYYAAA!"

"Stop it, you dumb shit! You're going to knock the fucking table over," Lovino said, still with his palm to the surface of the wood. Feliciano perked up with a smile, leaning forward too quickly on his tall stool. Germany wrapped an arm around the Italian's waist to make sure he didn't slip to the floor.

"Ve~! Lovi, Mr. Gilbert can't help that his sneezies are loud."

"Oh yes he can," Germany grumped, leveling Prussia with another scowl. He was pretty annoyed about his pants, since they would stain. Then he cringed when he felt someone kick him beneath the table.

"Who asked you, kraut?"

"Romanito, be nice~! It's the Olympic games, mi amor." All Spain got for that comment was an elbow to the face and an emphatic, don't call me that!, which led the rest of the countries to drop the conversation entirely. Until, of course, Gilbert felt the swell of yet another sneeze. They were still coming like cannon balls ˗˗ powerful and out of nowhere ˗˗ so Prussia had to assume his allergies weren't that bad. Yet.

"HEPIEESHHCHOUUU!!"

"Mon dieu, Gilbert. A tes souhaits!" France was the first one to look at him with a little concern, since Prussia was usually only good for one or two sneezes unless he was getting sick. He had actually done a really good job of hiding his allergies from everyone but West (because cool people don't get stupid allergies). Prussia didn't plan on spilling the beans to his buddies now of all times, when he was basically the only person in the bar without a stake in the Olympics. He had to keep some of his dignity, verdammt. Though his nose had other ideas.

Romano growled and put both hands staunchly on the table as Prussia hitched a desperate gasp, and vented over his lap. "EEHTISHHHCHHHOOOUUUYYYY!!!" Even so, some of the silverware shook.

"That sounds like a cold," Russia said quietly, his unnerving smile sitting on his lips. Prussia felt himself shudder, and chose not to make eye contact with his ex-boss in hopes the guy would just leave him alone. He had been sick a lot in Moscow because of weakness and the weather, so those words rang quite a few scary bells. Almost instinctively he scooted a few centimeters closer to Germany, at least until their arms touched.

"Are you getting sick, mi amigo?" Spain asked as he put a hand to Prussia's back. The words getting sick seemed to attract the attention of half the bar as nations turned to look, and very suddenly Prussia felt weirdly panicked. A light heat rushed to his cheeks. He couldn’t remember the last time he had been with so many people in a room. After all, it had been a very long while since he attended a world conference. Invitations didn’t come to him very often anymore. Gathering up a cocky smile, he rubbed a finger back and forth beneath his nostrils.

"Course not! I feel fine. Just snee-.. jussa se, eh.. EEIIGIISASSHHHHHOOOOO!!"

For a second, Prussia thought he heard the maple-syrup country bless him, but when he looked around he couldn't see Canada anywhere. America was the first to raise his beer. "Hey, dudes! Drinking game! Every time the German guy sneezes, take a swig!"

"Alfred, that's Prussia," England snapped, clutching his beer like someone might take it from him. "And besides, your game is ridiculous!"

"Ha! You just know I'll wipe the floor with ya, Iggs."

"How dare you! I'm hundreds of years older than you—! Every country in this room can hold his liquor better than you can, you twit."

Prussia thought about being offended that America thought he was his brother, but before he could think of a reply, the tickle flared yet again. Fuck, it was starting. "IIEHKIIJJJIAAWEEYYYY!!"

"Drink!!" America shouted, and to the surprise of many, just about everyone did. Cups lifted and thudded back against the table tops with a synchronized pace, and Prussia wasn't sure if he was okay with it or not. He wasn’t used to such a wide audience since it was usually just him and Germany, or him and his few close friends-... but-

"HECKSSHHOUUUUUIIEE!!" Wavering indecision solidified gradually into another sneeze, which sent another round of shots around the bar, and another uncomfortable heat into Prussia's cheeks. Damn, his throat was getting sore from shouting them. But if he let them come naturally then West would be onto him for sure. Right now, he was pretty sure his little bro just thought he was being an asshole. Prussia glanced to Germany, who had turned from Feliciano to sneer at him.

"Gilbert, would you stop it?"

Suspicion confirmed. Prussia sniffled against the rising tide in his sinuses, which were starting to clog. If he kept this up, he would be congested to the nines within the hour. He needed to stop sneezing, which was almost like saying, I should stop breathing. And speak of the devil-...

"YIITSSSPPCHHHHUUHWAAYY!" That one scraped by, and he was grateful the rising cheers of the bar drowned out the few coughs he had to indulge. Romano slammed a fist on the table, causing the cutlery and glasses to clatter. Spain clumsily tried to keep an empty mug from smashing to the floor, but failed.

"You're fucking disgusting! At least cover your damn mouth, potato-eater!"

Prussia's face flooded crimson, and he clenched his fists against his knees when he realized the warmth he felt was just as obvious to everyone else too. Being an albino sucked sometimes. Feliciano pointed at Prussia, voice a little slurry from his beer.

"Aww, like a tomato! Ve, Ludwig look, it's like tomatoes!"

Germany and Prussia locked eyes for just a moment, though the contact was shattered when the elder brother abruptly flinched into the cup of one hand. "IIEPPASHHHMMMMPPPTT!!" Another cheer, another clattering of glasses. Both Italians and Spain winced because the wetness in that sneeze was audible to those that close. When Prussia opened his eyes again, he could see Germany’s iciness was starting to melt into lukewarm concern.

Prussia took a breath to assure his brother everything was perfectly fine, but the air got stuck in his throat. He could feel the subtle change in his sinuses – sort of like a dial on a hose being set from shower to soak – and he knew the next sneeze that came knocking was going to bring friends. Everyone at the table watched as Prussia blinked spastically, overwhelmed. Pinching his nose with the edge of his thumb and forefinger, still with the palm of his hand over his mouth, Prussia slid off his stool.

“Gil…!” Germany started to protest, but trailed off as Prussia power walked toward the bathroom. The elder of the two glanced back to reassure his brother and friends he was returning, trying to ignore the disappointed groans from all the other countries that had been enjoying the covert allergy attack as entertainment. Another sneeze was cresting, so Prussia tried to get his words out before it took him completely.

“B-Be righ’d b—…xxxtt!!!” It was a nearly silent stifle, just a pulse, but the strength of it sent him stumbling into something soft, yielding, and warm. Someone gripped his shoulders to straighten him, and when he opened his ruby-red eyes again, he found himself leaning into the stable arms of Austria.

The aristocrat had left his table nearly half an hour prior to use the restroom, promptly gotten lost, and only just finished washing up when he quite literally ran into Prussia. They were actually almost the same height, with Austria standing just a hair taller, so their eyes met easily. It was awkward since neither of them really talked to one another; in fact, Austria was under the vague impression Prussia hated him. It was for this reason he whisked his hands back to his sides as if the other nation burned him, averting his eyes to the side just once.

“Pardon me…”

“.. scuze be –…”

They spoke at the same time, eliciting a flustered laugh from Prussia. Austria felt his ears grow a little warm, and with want of something to do, he reached to adjust his glasses. He and Prussia didn’t know one another very well—just words here and there through Hungary—and Austria wasn’t proud to admit he had asked perhaps a few too many questions about the very fair-haired, red-eyed annoyance of an ex-nation. Something about the man was-…fetching, if Austria had to put it bluntly. Even now, he felt his heart thrumming faster than it had been moments before.

“…xxtt!!”

The soft burst of noise attracted Austria’s gaze again, this time less fleeting and more observant. Prussia’s eyes did look a little puffy and watery, and he was pinching his nose with a hand over his mouth as if frightened something might spring out of his face. His recovery from that stifled sneeze was bleary and slow, and as Austria recalled the ferocity of Prussia’s usual releases, it didn’t surprise him in the slightest. What was peculiar was why the showy, taunting Gilbert Beilschmidt would bother stifling at all. Austria stood with a stony vigilance as he watched Prussia’s obscured expression flutter once more, and then abruptly collapse into yet another body-shaking paroxysm.

“hh-xxxtt!! XXT!.. huhhh... scheizz..” Prussia opened one eye, peering at Austria. His face was red, getting splotchy, and he could feel how wet his palm and fingers were. What’s more, these stifles were hurting like hell and they were only going to get worse. He needed a fucking tissue, but the damn aristocrat was standing like a deer in headlights right in front of the restroom door.

“Uh-.. I deed- hh’xxt!!.. to ged to, eh’XXTT!!...huhh.. could’ja mo-.. nnxxTGGHH!” The last one sort of squirted past his defenses and he ended up coughing after, his lungs working to vent the irritation out of his system. Austria staggered back to the side in a most undignified fashion, less because of the possible germs and more because he was mortified he had been blocking the bathroom entrance for so long. What had gotten into him?! That wasn’t something a gentleman would do—… Prussia shouldered by and didn’t look back, leaving Austria to stand a little shell-shocked by the door before he picked his way back to his table.

- End flashback -

The current Prussia sitting in the Olympic stands shuddered as he recalled the resulting allergic fit in the bathroom, the following tension headache, his frantic midnight run to the nearest quick mart for Benadryl, and the walk of shame back to the bar. West chewed him out for disappearing as soon as he ducked back inside, and then started shooing him back out again because everyone was leaving anyway. There was a reason Prussia needed expensive, prescription allergy medication: literally nothing else did any good for him. The shitty pharmacy stuff managed to get him from the bar to his bed without any serious outbursts, but when Prussia woke from a fitful sleep the following morning, he was hungover in ways he shouldn’t have been.

Every available free-space in his head was packed tight with congestion; his throat was complaining from considerable sinus draining through the night, which was ridiculous, since he didn’t feel as though any mucus had moved a millimeter; his eyes ached and worse, they itched; there was a rash climbing its way along the back of his neck; and the worst part of it all—the damned allergic wildfire in his nose. No amount of sneezing would sate it, and that wouldn’t change until he got his snotty self back home or took one of his nonexistent pills.

Hence why he was a fucking dumbass.

“Mein gott, how can we be losing to France! It’s wrestling!” Germany yelled, throwing his arms up in exasperation. Prussia feigned interest, squinting to try and determine what exactly was happening, but was jostled when his brother sprung up from his seat as the German player got pinned. “What are you doing out there, Weber?! GET UP!”

Prussia closed his eyes, tired and grateful that West was much too involved in the game to notice how unawesome his big brother was doing. At least with all the noise he could sneeze without worrying he would be caught. They were basically inside a big, well-ventilated tent, so the blessed, natural flora could still be on display while they watched the event.

“ii’djshh!II’djeshh!II’DJSHHH!!..uhh..” Prussia had entered what he called, the seventh ring. It was a careful balance between dying of incredible sinus pressure, and sobbing in a corner. His sneezes had honed themselves overnight, now sharp with their purpose. No more were they cannonfire—they were machine gun rounds. And every time he had to sneeze once, that meant Prussia had to sneeze at least ten times more. It was a cycle to which he was helpless, though he took some pathetic comfort in the promise that it honestly couldn’t get worse.

He already had his head buried in his hands, so when he felt the prick of a tickle dragging up the raw length of his nasal passages, all he had to do was adjust the position of his hands. “hih’kshhh!.. iih’ptshhh!.. h’tsh!tshhh!II’TSHH!.. fug’ig hell..”

Forget the not getting worse part. The dam of solid congestion in his nose had broken unexpectedly, and there wasn’t a tissue in sight. Prussia thought about just using his shirt because he was to the point where he cared that little, but after a few wipes with both sleeves he realized he did actually need to blow his nose. Verdammt.

“West.” And thank the good Lord he could say that name without obvious stuffy nose syndrome. He sniffled a few times, trying to get his face clean enough to look presentable while also not provoking another volley of sneezes. Prussia knew he looked terrible, and if Germany hadn’t been so caught up in the games, he would have noticed by now. The leftover Benadryl helped Prussia slide by that morning as they got ready to leave, but everything was going to shit by now.

“West!” A little selfish piece of Prussia was hoping his brother would notice how awful he was feeling and take him back home. The Olympics were depressing enough without allergic hell, and getting ignored in favor of them when he felt sick made Prussia’s heart clench. Yeah, he could just admit to Germany he wasn’t feeling well, but-…big brothers don’t do that. That was the little bro’s job.

“West?” Prussia went so far as to poke Germany in the shoulder once or twice, clearing his throat, and he finally got the blonde to twitch his head a bit in Prussia’s direction. He leaned to his side, eyes still trained on the players in the ring. The elder nation swallowed when Germany didn’t even say anything—just grunted a hn?

“Uh, I thin’g I’b gudda go ged somb’thin tuh ead,” Prussia said, wincing. God, his voice was so croaky and thick. Ludwig had to be going deaf because he wasn’t even fazed; only his eyes narrowed slightly. “You.. you w-hh.. wand-sombthin? II’KISHH!hih’chishhh!...iih’ippshh!”

Prussia froze, nose now running again as he hurried a hand to cup just over his nostrils and lips. He was pretty sure he just nailed his brother with at least two of those, since Ludwig had been in the direct line of fire. But he needn’t have worried, because Germany merely sat back and said, “No I’m fine, and FLIP him, for the sake of our country, FLIP HIM!”

Prussia waited for just a second, staring at his brother with wide, red-rimmed eyes to see if that’s all he had to say about it. But Germany merely descended into muttered curses and exclamations in his home language while Francis, a few seats down and to the left, threw his head back in wild laughter. With a sigh, Prussia got heavily to his feet. So much for resting his hopes on Ludwig’s renowned observation skills. When it came to competition, he had tunnel vision. It was something Prussia was sure Germany got from him, so he shouldn’t have been surprised.

He managed to awkwardly slide past people in the stands (which he hated because he didn’t like the idea of strange people having a clean view of his awesome crotch or his ass), but had to pause on the steps to grip the railing and tip his head back. It wasn’t something he could fight anymore – all he could do was let his brows raise, his lips part, and his body tremor with what it asked from him.

“hh’pschh!.. hih’tschh!.. HIH-.. jshhh’u!” The third one bent him in half, and he was thankful he thought to grab the rail beforehand, or he might have had a gnarly ride down the steps face first. Using the edge of his shirt collar to tend to his nose, he started his slightly unsteady climb downstairs. And even if he hadn’t been in an allergic haze, he probably wouldn’t have noticed the pair of bespectacled violet eyes tracking him the entire way down.

A/N: Don’t worry, everyone! Some very fluffy AustriaxPrussia action is soon to come! >w< Also, I apologize for any severe out of character stuff—I needed some things to happen for the sake of the plot x’DD

Edited October 24, 2014 by BlackScatter

[KazeNoUirusu]

Out of character? I must say, I haven't a clue what you're talking about, this is fantastically Prussia. cx Your chosen relationship between Prussia and Austria is a bit different than what I usually see, but that's really all. And even then, it's just the story you want to tell, which I am totally on board with.

I have so many favorite moments:

Yeah. Yeah! This was an awesome idea! He was a fucking genius!

~ ~ ~

“I’b a fucki’g du’bass, West.”

I laughed so hard. XD

"Alfred, that's Prussia," England snapped, clutching his beer like someone might take it from him.

That is like the most Iggy thing I've ever-- how did you do that, I love it <3

Austria staggered back to the side in a most undignified fashion, less because of the possible germs and more because he was mortified he had been blocking the bathroom entrance for so long.

There's something intensely relatable about that part (granted that I can almost always relate to Roddie, but seriously, that awkward "oh my god you're trying to get into the bathroom I'm an idiot, I'm so sorry" moment. ^^; Perfect. )

“No I’m fine, and FLIP him, for the sake of our country, FLIP HIM!”

Just perfect, once again. Keep it up, I want moar, especially the fluff~!

[Hachimitsu Tea]

I... Wow... I'm in awe! This is so above and beyond what I even hoped for, and you rock so hard for taking my simple request and giving it a great supporting atmosphere! Prussia is simultaneously hilarious and heartrendingly pitiful. I love his stubbornness and inability to be honest with himself. It's just so him! And his gradual downward spiral into allergic misery is written so believably that I just want to take him home and fix him up myself <3 and seeing Germany get so into the games was strangely adorable, even if my poor baby Prussia was ignored because of it.

I'm so looking forward to the next part <3

[snuffles]

*fans self*

OK so I'm not really a Hetalia person ((prepares to be shot)) but OMG this was so incredibly AMAAAAZING that I had to re-read it twice before I could post. I'm completely looking forward to the next part!

*fans self more*

[Felidae]

I can't get over how perfectly you nailed balance between Prussia's stubbornness and sudden vulnerability. Everything about this is wonderful!

[Guest]

OMG! Please, please, please go on!!! This is so amazingly great!. I love it! :]

[SterlingSilver]

A/N: Sorry this took so long~! Finally got it done >w<! I hope this fic was everything you wanted and more, Tea~! I'm so glad you are enjoying it thus far !

@ KazeNoUirusu: Thank you for your kind words! I love it when people go to the trouble to quote parts they like >w<! You made me feel a lot better about my portrayal of the characters, haha~!

@ snuffles: Even if you're not a fan, I'm so glad you found this fun to read! That makes me feel like a really good writer, ahaha x33

@ Mewkola: Thank youuuu~! I hope I keep it up in this next part! ^w^

@ Liun: I'm glad~!

PART 2

Austria wasn't a stalker, okay? He wasn’t. Just because he and Prussia kept ending up in the same general area didn’t mean anything. It had nothing to do with the fact that the albino nation had really soft-looking hair… and very deep eyes… and a laugh that could light up a room. No, naturally not. Actually, Austria had not enjoyed Prussia’s gentle, needing weight against him outside the bathroom last night. Similarly, he had not thought about the encounter since then. Prussia’s ailing condition did not worry Austria, not a bit. To be honest, when Prussia stumbled up to a drink stand about twelve paces from the wrestling tent, purchased a beer, and then dropped onto a bench, Austria had certainly not felt even an ounce of concern.

From his position a few meters away, under the shade of a tree, Austria could see the angry puffiness around Prussia’s eyes, the chapped and perpetually runny state of his nose, and the general fatigue hanging around his shoulders. All right, perhaps his heart constricted just a little. As Austria watched, Prussia’s head slowly tipped back, eyes already closed from weariness, and then he shook himself with what looked like five or six rapid fire sneezes against the cup of one hand. On either the third or fourth sneeze, Prussia sloshed a rope of beer across his shirt. The mess of it irked Austria, but Prussia could only half-heartedly mop at it with his sleeve, scrunching his nose with sniffle after sniffle. Luckily, he had grabbed a whopping load of napkins while buying a drink, so these were put to vigorous use on clothing and face alike. Austria thought they looked rough and unappealing for such delicate work.

Suddenly, the pity of the image hit him all at once. How a man could be both so infuriating, and now so aww-inducing, was beyond law. Why, he looked like a lost child on that bench, fiddling around with his napkins as he tried to catch his breath. Wait, was Prussia sick? Last night he hadn’t been particularly rowdy either. From what Austria could remember, he had been sneezing then too-… and now he was galloping about in brisk spring weather? Fool. One would think he might have enough sense not to make himself worse, but then again, this was Prussia.

Prussia himself was beginning to regret leaving the hotel this morning. This had all seemed like such a sound idea, and it had spiraled into garbage almost immediately. Damn Olympics. Damn allergies. His respiratory system was in full revolt, and in the process of defending Prussia against the terror of pollen, it was very quickly destroying any hope of a good day. A good two weeks, if Prussia was honest. The rash at the back of his neck had splotched its way along his collar bone and up into his hair line, the itch of it surprisingly less volatile than the ever-present tug in his sinuses. It felt hot though, simmering against his skin. The sinus headache was just short of paralyzing, his eyes felt like someone had sucked the moisture out with a straw—… and shit, his throat was starting to get a little tight. Fuck, this was bad.

Motivated to at least die like a badass, and not a homeless guy slumped on a bench, Prussia tried to rally himself. He had been on his super meds so long, he had forgotten what it felt like to have a full blown attack. It wasn’t pretty, that was for sure. Prussia consoled himself with the fact that Netherlands wasn’t the country of mirrors, or any reflective surfaces for that matter. Having to look himself in the eyes for this would have been the icing on this shitty cake he was baking. Using the back of the bench as leverage, Prussia shakily got to his feet. It wasn’t like he was a weakling… Allergies kinda took it out of him, okay? Ugh, whatever. Even admitting it to himself was embarrassing.

As soon as he steadied, his nose decided he needed to sit back down again. The sneezes rushed him before he was ready, and he pitched a high, wheezy gasp before, “ii’djshh!II’djeshh!.. II’DJSHHH!!..Hih’jdish’uu!!.. IKISHH!..ipshh!”

The coughs that came after were more like attempts at breathing, and when Prussia could finally open his eyes, head throbbing like a stubbed toe, he noticed a few things: 1) He had spilled his beer…everywhere. 2) He had snot dribbling down his face like a toddler might. 3) People were staring. 4) All his napkins were used already. And 5) He was dangerously, dangerously close to crying-… holy shit, he was really going to cry in front of all these people. Every attempt to hold back just made it worse, because he was an ex-nation alone on a bench during the Olympics, filthy and gross with nothing and no one to help him clean up… not that he wanted anyone to see him like this.

Prussia dropped his chin to his chest and chuffed a slight laugh, the rattle of it catching against his sore throat. At least the gathering tears were helping with the dry eye, sort of. He watched a few of them plip against the fabric of his jeans, blinking them away as he held a wrist steadfastly to his nose. There was nothing else to stem the tide, as if it even mattered. The buzzing at the back of his sinuses was warning him of another pending attack, but whoopdi-fucking-doo. At this point Prussia resigned to drown in his own fluids rather than stagger his way through all those judging citizens—

The appearance of tissues very close to his eyes made him lean back in reflex, yanking out a single, surprised, “iitshh!” as he did so. Prussia couldn’t have been more astonished to see Roderich Edelstein standing there, one hand thrusting tissues and the other against his hip, casting a disinterested glare out into the distance. Like this was an inconvenience to him. He was wearing his nation’s colors and insignia, no doubt here to support his teams during the events. Prussia tried to think of something witty to say about it, but hell, he was caught with a seriously running nose and teary eyes-… might as well just take the damn tissues before the bastard changed his mind.

Once they were received, Austria crossed his arms across his chest and continued surveying the area, looking anywhere but at the man on the bench. “I… thought you could use them.”

Well yeah, that much was obvious. As he wiped the blissfully soft material across his face to clean up, taking special care to dry his eyes, Prussia cast out a line for something to say. He managed to fish up the lamest response possible.

“Uh-.. well, I… hh-hh! HPPISHH!” The tissues were there as a buffer, but they didn’t do much for the ferocity of his sneezes. They weren’t big or long, but they were strong. The blade of them tore into his sinuses with more sting each time. “II’shhh!Ishh!ISHH!iskishh!.. IPSHH!PSHH!” Breathing was like juggling for him now; he had to time the inhales just right so he wouldn’t pass out or start another round of sneezing in the meantime. It wasn’t going so well. “HITSH!HH’DJSHH!djshh!djshhh!chjjishhh!!...hih’kishh’huu!”

The string of them sent him listing to one side, the pulse of his headache shaking dark cracks into the outer ring of his vision, and he felt a warm anchor grab hold and straighten him again.

“Mr. Beilschmidt, bless you-…gracious-…”

Prussia smirked blearily, amused that the nation was actually too gentlemanly to properly swear. Young master, indeed. Dammit, he needed to pull himself together. His allergies had him looking like a dumbass in front of probably the most honestly dignified person in the world.

“Ah, thags..” He fought a wince when his words came out on a wheeze. The path from his throat to his lungs was hot as coal and tighter than a virgin. He felt sleepy with lack of proper air, and reached up to scratch at the back of his neck. Now Austria regarded him carefully, unsure if the conversation was going to end or not. Prussia was alarmingly quiet.

“Are you… are you all right?” he hedged.

Of course the awesome Prussia was all right. When was he not? There was nothing he couldn’t handle, not a single thing in the world that could pose a challenge, he-… he… to hell with it.

“Dot really.”

The admission surprised both of them. Austria, frankly unsure of what to do with such guile, began to fiddle a little with his hands. Prussia watched his delicate fingers move around one another, long and smooth. No wonder he played such good piano.

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,” he said. Prussia thought he sounded like a condolence card from a gift shop. “Did you catch—”

“hih-hih’ikshhh!”

“…you catch a—”

“II’tshhh!pshhh!ISKISHH!”

“….. catch a co—”

“kgishhh!kishh!chjishh!”

“…catch—”

“huh’pshhh!jishhh!kishhh-!.. HIHTSHH’HUHH!.. oh, fu’g be..” Prussia massaged the sides of his nose through the tissue, trying to ease at least a little bit of the pressure. He tried not to move because of how light headed he was. Another fit like that might put him out. But even so, he was still aware enough to be abashed about continuously interrupting Austria while the nation tried to speak. “I’b sorry-.. I swear I’b dnot… dot doi’g id od burbose-..”

The pink flush over the tips of Prussia’s ears clearly expressed his embarrassment, as did the uncharacteristically shy tilt to his voice. Those indications, as well as Prussia’s terrible condition, alerted Austria that something was very wrong. Frowning, he looked down at his hands.

“No, it’s all right. You’re obviously ill, so—”

“Allergies.” Prussia interrupted again, this time without a sneeze. Austria raised his eyebrows, and Prussia heaved a sigh that sounded like a groan. “I’b allergic to… adythi’g thad grows, I guess.”

He didn’t know why, out of all people, he would fess up his allergies to Austria. He hardly knew the guy outside of gossip and occasional gatherings. Must be the booze talking. Though, Prussia noted as he looked down at himself, he had spilled most of his beer on his clothes. Austria relaxed a little in response to the news – he had a weak immune system, so the knowledge that Prussia wasn’t ill comforted him. At least he couldn’t catch this abominable-looking condition.

However, the adjustment of Prussia’s head allowed Austria a clear view of the growing rash on Prussia’s neck, and he blanched.

“Pardon, but what is that?”

Prussia squinted up at him, having trouble concentrating. Everything from his chest up was aching. “Whad?”

“That.. on your neck?”

Reaching reactively, Prussia felt the burning, itching, swollen area with the clammy palm of one hand. Oh, right. The answer to that question brought another hot flush, filling in all the pale spaces on his cheeks where his allergies hadn’t already reddened them. He went for the offhanded approach.

“Jusd somb hives.”

“I’m sorry, did you say hives?”

Right after Austria asked, Prussia felt the familiar twang in his sinuses – the thrum of a tight thread – sending the vibration against his nerves and coaxing out the desire to sneeze. For the love of him, would it ever stop? Valiantly, Prussia tried to be polite.

“Scuze be-ee’knxt!” It was fucking terrible idea, but he was determined to ride this wave without considerable mess. And that meant pinching his nose shut. “N’xtt!II’xtt!KXT!KNXT!NXT!..” His nose stalled long enough for one coughing exhale, but he didn’t have enough time to breathe in again. “XXT!XTT!NXT!.. XXT!..xxt!NXT!..hhuhh..”

There was a weird jump in time, and the next thing Prussia knew, he was staring up into the bespectacled face of Austria. He felt suffocated because he was on his back, and claustrophobic because his companion was hovering over him with enough proximity to block the sun. Prussia tried to gather his bearings, blinking a few times. Austria gave him all of one second before his concerned expression hardened to a stony one.

“You fool!”

Prussia stared.

“You nearly smothered yourself! I’m impressed you haven’t given yourself an aneurism, what with the vigor of that reaction. One would think a severe allergy-sufferer would know better. And stop that!” Austria snatched at Prussia’s wrist, as he had been raising a hand to rub at his eyes. “You’ll only make it worse.”

Such aggressive remarks from Austria, a nation who was fairly distant, stately, and too camera shy to even feature himself on his local news stations, surprised Prussia. He really hadn’t thought the guy was capable of raising his voice, even if it was only a little. After another moment of observation, Prussia found that he was lying on the bench, Austria leaning over him, much to the curiosity of various onlookers. He didn’t have the strength or gumption to blush over it. He didn’t have the strength or gumption to do much of anything but lay there, feeling the whistle of his breath move through the swollen length of his throat.

Austria stood up to give Prussia a little space, taking off his glasses to scrub them with the fabric of his shirt. “You really ought to see a doctor, or at least have someone looking after you.”

Prussia closed his eyes, tried to swallow. It felt like he was choking on himself. Verdammt.

“Would you?”

His eyes were shut, so he didn’t see the frozen look on Austria’s face. The way he paused before slowly slipping his glasses back on.

“Come again?”

Prussia willed himself not to resent Austria for making him ask again. It was hard to talk, and harder still to ask this particular request.

“Would you lu’g afder be?”

After another stretch of silence, a bit longer this time, Austria replied. He sounded lofty.

“If there is no one else, I suppose I should. It wouldn’t be the right thing to do, leaving you here like this.”

Prussia cracked his eyes open again, using an elbow to start sitting up. His head spun, and he was hyper-aware of the stiffness across his shirt where his spilt beer had dried. Austria stooped to assist him, struggling a little because he wasn’t a very strong country. But then again, in recent times, neither was Prussia. The situation injected him with some forgotten humor.

“You jusd wannda durse be back to health againd.”

The ribbing caught Austria unawares, and he spluttered. “Wh-what-?.. Don’t blather nonsense while I’m charitably donating my time to your need. Fool.”

Prussia thought the last barb was tossed there for reassurance, like he was trying too hard. It made him grin. “Dah, ya wadda snduggle ub with be undil I – ” Prussia paused here to cough, and then catch his breath again. “ – I feel bedder.”

Austria’s patience was as legendary as they say because he didn’t allow himself to be ruffled in the slightest. He just hung onto Prussia, resolutely beginning to assist him down the sidewalk. The event tents were set up in the middle of Netherlands’ capital city, pushed into the green spaces between buildings. Austria’s hotel wasn’t too far from where they were now, so he figured they could walk. That is, if Prussia could manage.

“I can hardly understand a word you’re saying,” Austria sighed, stumbling a little when Prussia leaned heavily. His voice grew tight as he supported the weight. “And you sound as if you should save your breath.”

They lapsed into an uncomfortable, stuffy silence after that. Austria would level Prussia with probing looks now and again, but could never catch those ruby-drop eyes. They were always trained on the ground, sodden tissues pressed beneath his red nose. The weak, laboring catch to Prussia’s breathing was not at all reassuring, but his lips weren’t blue or anything. Yet. Austria tried to remain calm.

“…Do you need a hospital?”

Prussia shook his head, brows furrowing a little. It was hard to tell if it was out of embarrassment, offense, or just deep thought. Austria hoped it was the last one, as he didn’t want to cause Prussia any more discomfort than he was already in. Even though the nation wasn’t showing it, Austria’s gut clenched every time Prussia sniffled, wheezed, or staggered. It was hard to watch. He would need a shower and steam as soon as they got to the hotel.

Lost in planning, Austria almost missed the faint moan to his left. He looked to Prussia, scowling when he found the albino pinching his nose with his entire fist. Like using his entire hand was somehow more effective.

“You better not be doing what I think you are doing,” Austria warned.

Prussia’s voice, breathy and trembling, sent a soft bolt of lightning into Austria’s groin.

“Dno, I-ieeeh…if I s-snd..sdee-…uh..” A pause to swallow, which looked painful. They had stopped walking by now, and Austria had a hand to Prussia’s back. He was rubbing it slowly, carefully, though neither of them really noticed. Squinting, Prussia hurried to finish.

“If I sndeeze, I’ll prouhh…probably pass oud-..”

Well, that wasn’t good. If true, no wonder Prussia would rather try and head the reflex off before it began. But whether he let them fly uncovered or held them inside, they were going to take his breath away and send him to the pavement. And Austria didn’t think he could catch him, or carry him for that matter. Hitching Prussia up on his shoulder a little, Austria tried not to stare as they began to walk again.

“Then hold it at bay for as long as you can.”

Prussia’s glare was too watery and incandescent to ruffle the other nation. “Thad’s whad I’b t-.. try-hh..hhih-..hhh-!”

The inhales were jumpy yet quiet, but Austria could still feel them against his side. Turning his head to look at Prussia, it was clear the nation was doing everything he could to resist. He didn’t want to sneeze. Every inch of his body was begging him to sit down, gag on a few antihistamines, and then sleep for a week. But his nose was adamant, it was relentless. The tickling elicited helpless quivering of his nostrils as they widened involuntarily, and Austria found himself scrambling for something to stop it. There was nothing, unfortunately.

Except…

Prussia’s head jogged back, aching with every jerk. “hh!hh!HHH-”

Abruptly Austria jammed the edge of his fist underneath Prussia’s nose, and the urge stalled, wavered… Prussia could feel the tic of it working, his reflex still committing to the action. However, the steady pressure against his septum kept it in check, and after a few tense moments, the urge uneasily left him. Huffing with relief, Prussia sagged a little in Austria’s grip. The man grunted.

“Come now, let’s go. It’s only a block that way.”

Still the fist pressed hard against Prussia’s nose, and while it was a little uncomfortable, the insistence was reassuring. Finally, after two days of torture, the need to sneeze had faded into just a flickering flame at the edge of his sinuses. It was fucking bliss. He needed a minute to fully appreciate it. That, and he was literally running on fumes and warm beer by now. He had absolutely nothing left. He took a shaky breath that seemed to have sand in it, judging by the way it went down his throat.

“I feel li’ge I’b dyi’g..”

“Don’t be dramatic.”

Prussia felt the soft skin against his lips. Austria felt the soft lips against his skin. Neither of them mentioned it, and neither of them made moves to alter the position. Keeping Austria’s fist under Prussia’s runny nose made walking a little awkward, but Prussia didn’t want to sneeze and Austria didn’t want him to sneeze, so the fist stayed. They were both pretty sure the moment it moved, Prussia would be at it again.

So they walked. They didn’t talk. And the hotel was closer than they thought. Each step was its own challenge though, and every breath sounded more like Prussia was sucking up the last of a slurpie with a straw. How the idiot could expose himself unguarded to allergens to which he was so severely allergic boggled Austria’s mind, but he did his best not to kick the poor man while he was down. Each time Prussia tried to scratch at his rash or dig at his eyes, Austria would gently elbow him with a reprimand to stop. Eventually, Prussia stopped smiling after such demands; he knew this because he could feel Prussia’s mouth brush against his finger every time it moved. It worried him.

When he saw the familiar sign jutting out from the building, Austria gave a huge sigh of accomplishment. His arms were trembling with the effort of supporting Prussia’s weight, and he could feel the sweat down his neck and spine. Panting a little, Austria adjusted his hold on Prussia for the hundredth time.

“Finally,” he said. Glancing over at Prussia, he was hoping for a cocky smile, or a snarky about time!, but all he got was a croaky mmbb noise that didn’t sound so much grateful as it did exhausted. Right…

“I’m on the first floor, so we won’t have to bother with stairs or elevators,” he assured, meaning this to be good news. Prussia didn’t respond with more than a squint, and Austria felt nostrils flare against his hand. That wasn’t anything new, but the urgency in the action was more intent than Austria would have liked. They awkwardly power-walked the last few steps and Austria all but kicked the door open in his haste to get inside.

And then at last… at last… Austria dropped Prussia onto the king bed in the center of the room. The weak nation took a moment to feel his jellied limbs tingle, grateful to have full agency over them again. He didn’t regret supporting another nation (especially not the one on his bed), but his muscles wouldn’t be thanking him tomorrow. Prussia, now belly-up on a comfortable surface, looked like he might cry.

“Oh by god, this iz better thand sex…” The godly infusion of air-conditioning, lack of pollinating plants, and a place to lay down rallied him to a state of coherence and appreciation. But that was about all he had. He couldn’t even summon the energy to feel properly embarrassed while Austria hurried into the bathroom to wash his hands of Prussia’s snot. His snot was the nectar of champions. Pooh on Austria for wasting such an opportunity for reverence.

Of course, the pain quickly eclipsed the glee – his head was still packed and pounding, his sinuses were still inflamed and achy, his hives were still stinging, throat still dry and stabbing at every swallow, and of course he still had to fucking sneeze –

But on the other hand, he didn’t. Prussia could feel it floating around in there, but unlike every sneeze he ever had, it wasn’t settling. Almost always, bar none, Prussia’s sneezes were deliberate and decisive. They either blew over him like grenade mortars, or cut him down with the fury and swiftness of katana strikes. They didn’t just… hover. It wasn’t even enough to get him to hitch. His nose was twitching, he could feel it, just like he could feel the elusive tickle weaving through his needy sinuses.

Prussia wrinkled his nose, thoughtful. As thoughtful as he could be with this bitch of a headache. Austria wandered in, wiping his hands with a small towel, and paused to watch Prussia screw his face into different arrangements.

“Something bothering you?”

“Feel li’ge I deed.. d-.. hh-..” Prussia took a moment, eyes closing in wait, and then let out a sigh. And he was so tired, he sort of forgot what he had been saying in the first place. Before he could remember, Austria came forward and snatched the complimentary tissue box off the night stand, perching awkwardly on the edge of the bed.

“Well, first things first,” he said as he yanked out a few squares. “You should blow your nose before you give yourself a sinus infection.”

Yeah, no, Prussia did not need that noise on top of everything else. That would suck literal ass. The weird care-taking vibe of the situation wasn’t soaking in properly for Prussia since he was so beat from his allergies. Austria had the proper sense to be abashed about all this – honestly, they hardly knew one another! – but his curious endearment toward the albino kept him from making a fuss.

It took more than few minutes of patient blowing for Prussia to clear out the loose mess in his nose. Several times he complained of the pain, wanting to stop, but Austria firmly encouraged him again and again. Because of his terrible immune system, Austria could sort of relate to Prussia’s plight. Even if his head might explode from the sinus pressure, he needed to keep it up. It was after he was satisfied that he offered up his next suggestion.

“You should probably take a hot shower. It will loosen your remaining congestion, help your sinus pressure, and get any remaining pollen off of you.”

Prussia couldn’t disagree. Though standing up was a huge bummer. It was the very last thing he wanted to do, short of watching the Olympics. Damn Olympics. He would blame it for the rest of his life. Austria lingered nearby as Prussia fought to his feet, swaying his way to the shower. After emphatically yelling that Prussia sit down so he didn’t fall down in the tub, he said something else Prussia didn’t catch.

Shit, his vision was flagging again. He rubbed at an eye as he stepped over the threshold to the tile, closing the door and sinking down to sit for a moment. Time to take stock – even through the haze of all his allergic discomfort, Prussia could tell his throat wasn’t in danger of closing completely. He continued to have trouble breathing, but not asphyxiation. Really, he was more annoyed by the fact he still couldn’t sneeze.

What the fuck. Prussia had gone his entire life sneezing when he had to sneeze. Then Austria pulls his stupid hero act on the walk here and he couldn’t get the butterfly wings in his sinuses to stop flitting around. It kept alighting on a new stretch of nerves every span of seconds, igniting and killing the urge with frustrating regularity.

As Prussia undressed he felt it.

As he stepped into the shower, he felt it.

As he snorted steam, coughed phlegm, toweled off, he could still fucking feel it…

Looking in the foggy mirror, Prussia evaluated. His light skin was a bit pink from the heat of the water, the puffy, swollen skin beneath his eyes noticeably darker. There wasn’t an inch of white in his corneas, all spidered and bloodshot. The rash had run its way down across his collarbone, raised and red. His nose was a glowing pink, chaffed and alive with twitches. The way his nostrils dilated and relaxed, breath just shy of catching against his raw throat, was completely out of his control. His eyes fluttered, half-lidded and ready, lips parted by millimeters, but he could only huff when it never developed.

Evaluation result: he looked like a steamy, sweet-smelling pile of wasted shit. If he didn’t want the bed so badly, he might have just curled up in the tub to preserve his flagging self-respect.

The shower was about half an hour, and then he got almost fifteen minutes of laying curled up on the mattress in Austria’s clothes, mad with the desire to sneeze. The motherly bastard had left out a pair of pants and a shirt for Prussia to wear, and since they were almost the same size, it worked out well. Not to mention the fabric was super soft. The flinting sparks of a sneeze, trying to start a proper tickle but not getting close, ensured Prussia would stay awake. But he couldn’t help the gradual drooping of his eyes. Through the headache, the pain, he still just wanted to sleep –

The latch of the door mechanism shifted, and in shuffled Austria with a few bags. Prussia didn’t move from his spot, and chose to glower over at the bespectacled nation as he kicked the door shut.

“This is all your fault,” Prussia rasped. His throat scraped against itself, hooked, and then he coughed. Struggled to get a breath. Austria piled his bags up on the small table near the wall.

“Someone’s sounding less congested,” Austria hummed, refusing to rise to the bait. Prussia closed his eyes because they felt too dry to keep open, even though he wanted to glare more. When the silence stretched, the healthy nation cut eyes to the sickly one while he unpacked.

“After rescuing you from your own idiocy, escorting you here, giving you my clothes, allowing you to make use of my amenities, and on top of that, buying you a decent lunch and over the counter allergy medication to at least alleviate a modicum of your suffering…”

Here Austria paused for effect. Prussia’s brows cinched.

“…still you dare to act ungratefully and nonsensically blame me for this?”

“I’m not…” Prussia sighed, the wheeze of it whistling in the wet spaces of his lungs. This was nothing like he and West’s arguments, or any argument he’d had with anybody for that matter. There was this slow burn in the words that made Prussia take more attention than usual, and more than that, he was too exhausted to try and make a game out of it. Allergies sucked. They made him a more considerate person.

“I can’t sneeze,” he said. Austria blinked, not expecting it. When he looked over, he was even more surprised to see Prussia properly for the first time since he came in. He was bedraggled, hair a teeny bit damp but very fluffy from just being washed, face blotchy, rash exposed because the neck of the shirt was a little too big for him, laying on his side in a lax curl, nose crinkling and uncrinkling. As Austria observed, Prussia brought up a shirt sleeve to rub at it, irritable, and the edge of the cuff nearly covered his fingers. Not only all that, but there was a tell-tale blush wreathed along his cheeks and ears. Bashful. The nation looked more adorable than any nation his age had the right to be.

Austria tried not to be fetched, but it was hopeless. His only saving grace was his poker face.

“And how is this my fault?”

Prussia sniffled, his nasal membranes still swollen but the wealth of congestion now cleared. As a result, he still carried the dull vowels of someone who wasn’t well, but not the stunted consonants a stuffy nose breeds.

“Ya scared ‘em all off on the way here.”

“Because you said you would have collapsed if I hadn’t!”

“You didn’t need to do such a good job!”

“My hand got coated in your.. your..!” Austria searched for the dignified word, but couldn’t find it. So he settled for something less. “.. your snot on the way here! If I were you, I would hush and be thankful I haven’t berated you for being disgusting!”

That seemed the wrong thing to say for the right reasons. Austria had been aiming to shut Prussia up, and that did it, but not in the way he intended. The albino’s pride had been swirling around the bowl for hours now, and finally someone had flushed. Austria thought for a terrifying second that Prussia was going to cry, but instead he just rolled over and faced the headboard. He muttered his half-hearted defense so quietly it was a little sad.

“… I’m gross, but not contagious or anything-…”

Then they lapsed into the most uncomfortable silence to date. Austria felt fairly guilty about what he said, but couldn’t bring himself to apologize. Prussia wasn’t properly thanking him for anything he was doing, and that made him mad. He wouldn’t invite just anyone back to his hotel after all, and didn’t go out and purchase others food for a date.. for lunch very often.

Prussia himself was stewing too, because while he knew Austria deserved a thank you, he didn’t want to say it. That would be admitting he needed it, and he had done that enough for one day, thank you very much. Luckily his ever-present almost-sneeze occupied his mind more than those thoughts did. It still wasn’t within reach, but it drifted closer and closer each time. Close enough now to deserve a jagged inhale or two at each crest of the wave.

After a few times, Prussia grew consumed by the need of it, forgetting almost everything but wanting. Just as his eyes slowly closed each time, sleepy with the feeling of it, so did his mind slowly wander. Austria, from where he rustled with the bags of food and meds, began to listen for the huffs.

“… hh!”

The bustle of plastic bags on the counter.

“.. ehh…. Hh-hh.. uhh..”

Faint cheers from outside where the street bars housed game-parties.

“.. hgn.. hg’iih.. hii..!”

A sigh.

“..hh.. hhh-hh!”

They were all quite soft, like the brushes of petals on grass with the occasional groan of something deep when Prussia grew especially agitated. If Austria hadn’t been tuning into them with a concentration to rival a monk, then he wouldn’t have noticed. But he did, and over the course of those needy minutes his resolve eroded. On what must have been Prussia’s umpteenth, purposeful ihh, Austria turned around.

Didn’t say a word. Only resolutely crossed the room and drifted to the bathroom, emerging with a Q-tip he swiped from the toiletry set on the counter. No sense in tissues for something like this, especially when Prussia would probably need them. Still not speaking, Austria perched delicately on the edge of the bed and then pulled Prussia onto his back by his shoulder.

He caught him mid-sneeze, which was no surprise, and the nation flashed his hands up to cover his mouth and nose in case he accidently lost it. Expectantly though, he was forced to lower his arms again with an uneasy sigh, eyeing Austria like he was the cause of this deep-seated misery.

“I’m taking responsibility. Sit up," Austria said.

“Don’t wanna,” Prussia countered, remaining where he was. On one hand, he was being an ass on purpose. On the other hand, he really didn’t want to move. Only those with bad allergies would understand how sucky it was to move after a day on no meds.

Austria sighed, and instead tried a different tactic. “Scoot over.”

That got him a slightly guarded expression, but the silverette did as he was instructed. Easing himself more fully onto the mattress, ignoring the heat that rushed up to his cheeks and down to his groin when his pelvis brushed Prussia’s, Austria propped his head up with an arm and looked down on the other nation much like a lover would look upon his beloved. Except this wasn't like that.. not at all.

Prussia watched expectedly, licking his lips once as he stared at the Q-tip held just above his nose. As if in anticipation, his nostrils flared for a moment. Austria’s voice was soft, almost tender, though the words were not meant to be.

“Breathe a word of this business to anyone, and I will find some way to exact revenge.”

Austria wasn’t the vengeful type really, so it made Prussia grin up at him. Though the expression dissolved into a watery unfocus as the instrument was inserted without any more banter. The weight against Prussia’s septum for the walk to the hotel had locked his sinuses up tight, allowing only the barest distinction of a sneeze to plague him. But now, goaded by the fuzz of a Q-tip, his sensitive membranes were waking again. They were already rubbed raw and irritable from all the pollen, liable to be grumpy about any intrusion from now until next week, so it wasn’t longer than several seconds before Prussia began substantial hitching. Not the airy little ones he had been coaxing earlier – these were full, voiced, begging for it.

“nn.. hhuhh-.. hih-.. t-.. tick-ahhh..-ckles.. hh-hh!..”

Austria frowned as he worked, twirling the stem of his tool with agonizing slowness, finding amusement in the way it set Prussia’s nose into a fit of twitches and sniffles. So often Austria wasn’t strong enough or involved enough to have any power over anyone… but today, Prussia was at his mercy. If only for just a moment. Had he been less of a gentleman, he might have started pulling at the drawstring to Prussia’s pants.

“That’s the idea, isn’t it? Come now, help me. Where is it you are m-.. ah, there it is.”

In the midst of his question, Austria had been repositioning the Q-tip and finally stumbled across an incredibly raw patch of nerves toward the bridge of Prussia’s nose – the magic spot. Wanting to hurry the process before he started having too much fun, Austria gently rubbed back and forth, back and forth, watching Prussia’s head jog back by degrees as he arched with the sensation.

“Fuck, I- iiehh.. ieh, ieh, ieh, hh-HH-HUH!”

Prussia actually took in so much air, he hitched silently once or twice, lungs too full to accept any more. His fingers gripped the comforter. Austria yanked the Q-tip out just as Prussia surged forward, nearly sitting up with the force.

“HIII’TSHHHHHUUUUUU!!”

It was strange because it was not one of his naturally quiet sneezes, but it was not forced either. This was something Prussia had gathered up with all the strength he had in his body, so eager was he to sneeze. Flopping back on the mattress, Prussia struggled to get his bearings, already gasping for another -

"IG'IIIT'SSHHUUU-huhhh.."

"Bless!"

A beat of silence, a pause to assess, and when Prussia squinted his wet, swollen eyes for just a second, Austria wrinkled his brow with worry. If those fits earlier were any indication, there was no way Prussia was finished already. That turned out to be the case. With abrupt fury, the afflicted nation rolled onto his side and began trembling with them, unable to hold back or slow down.

“ii’djshh!II’djeshh!II’DJSHHH!!..HK'JISHHH!... uhh.. h-h-h-HITSHH!ii'djshh!.. hh'kishh!EH'TISHH!"

"Gilbert, bless!"

Fortunately the shower and clean air had allowed Prussia's throat to loosen up a little, though it was still sore. Each expulsion tore him like a spray of gravel, but even he couldn't deny it felt absolutely amazing after waiting for so long. Austria, at a loss of what to do, just helplessly watched as a dazed Prussia drew a long, continuous breath.

"hhhhhhhhh-..." And then let it go. "G'tschuuu!HH'tschhu!ii'pshhh!.. ii'skkchh!IKSCHH!.. ehh'pishh!!"

Was this Prussia?, Austria thought. This twitchy, fittish, shy mess of a man? No, that wasn't all who Prussia was, but it was more than Austria had first assumed. There was something endearing about it, this side to him, and before he could help himself Roderich had a hand in Prussia's hair.

"I am good at taming sneezes, it seems." It felt strange to make conversation, but Austria did it anyway.

"Shud ub, iih-ipshh!.. I ain'd- ah-ah'ahtishh! AKSHH!.. hih'kishh!!.. iskchh!idjjshh!hih'DGSHH'nnn!.."

There was a finality to the last desperate hitch of Prussia's breath, his frozen, irritated expression collapsing into an eventual, "HEH'TSHHUUHH!" that set him coughing a few times after. Totally worth.

His thick groan was one of aching relief. "By god, thad was dearly orgasmbic.."

"Don't be vulgar," Austria sighed, though he had to say he agreed. The blissed-out, flushed quality of Prussia's expression made him a little uncomfortable. "Gesundheit, by the way."

"Yeah, thangs," Prussia muttered, feeling vaguely embarrassed about the whole thing. He took the proffered tissues and capped them over his nose. It hadn't been the cleanest sneezing fit, so he cut his eyes to Austria over the tissue paper, voice muffled and chesty. "Dnot too disgusting for you?"

Austria deflated a little, though his eyes stayed stony in an effort not to betray too much sympathy. Looking away, he used one finger to push his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Not really... I.. didn't mean it with as much venom as I said it, before."

There was a brief lull while Prussia blew his nose, turning politely away from his companion while the other looked up at the ceiling to kill time. After he finished, Prussia pinched and wiped away the excess and sunk a shot into the litter bin across the room.

"Is that sooo~?" he asked, tone light. He had humiliated himself enough for one day, dammit. No more fuckin' vulnerable-ass shit that would get him pink in the cheeks and watery at the eyes. Nearly sobbed like a little kid on a bench, for pete's sake-...

Though there was a weird, tiny piece of him that didn't feel so awful playing weak in front of Austria, who didn't seem all that put out by any of it. Apt to cut him where it hurt when he was frustrated, but there wasn't any real chill to his words. Prussia shivered when he felt the scoff of Austria's breath. When did his mouth get that close to his ear-!?

"I'm giving you a veiled apology, fool," Austria said softly. "Don't push your luck."

Prussia grinned, allowing it to pull at only one side. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on the long, soft fingers in his damp hair. Nimble, deft. Those magic fingers. They could twirl hair as deftly as they could string chords on the piano. Even though he was feeling better than he had before, Prussia still felt the curdling of pain in his lungs, throat, and head. That allergy medication Austria got probably wouldn't do much good for the symptoms, but it would at least banish the headache. Hopefully it was the pill form. Sometimes West still bought gross liquid medicine for colds just to fuck with him. Was there liquid allergy medication? He couldn't recall.

Prussia's mind continued to turn lazy circles, slowly winding down, until it was roused by Austria shifting on the mattress. He grabbed the man's wrist almost without thinking. It was warm, a little thin, much more delicate than Prussia imagined. And yet just as dainty as he thought it would be.

".. uh.. I- I was just going to get you some water," Austria said in a whisper. Why they were whispering, Prussia had no clue. Wasn't complaining though. It matched their moods.

"No," he said. His voice was all but spent on the sneezes and coughs from earlier, so he used what threadbare timbre was left. "Just.. can wait."

Fuuuuuck, he sounded like a snot-nosed baby. Ugh, ugh, ugh. He just said he was going to stop! Prussia closed his eyes tighter against the hot flashes in his cheeks. Austria probably thought he was the least awesome person to ever live - stupid enough to forget his allergy meds, congested and nasty from all his respiratory crap, and now needy as all hell. Verdammt.

Red eyes snap wide as he felt the pressure of Austria's pelvis align against his own, slotting a groin to his behind. Austria was only a hair taller than him, so they were just about the same size; even so, they still fit like they were made for one another. Prussia stayed completely still, as if one false move would send Austria skittering off. This was a sensitive situation, requiring tact and grace in the face of slightly awkward confusion.

"... Is that a boner I feel?" DAMMIT. It just slipped out. Prussia made a mental note to wear a muzzle during touching moments. Austria stiffened behind him, and for a second Prussia was scared he would get up. But then he just reached around and flicked Prussia on the nose. The albino's breath jagged.

"You wish," Austria said, swallowing as he felt Prussia's back expand wide against his chest. Austria couldn't see Prussia's face, but he did bury his face at Prussia's neck. His cool cheek pressed softly against the hives, which felt hot and unnatural against Prussia's smooth pale flesh. His heart fluttered for a moment, feeling Prussia's muscles spasming before he jerked with sudden, machine-gun triple.

"..hh!tishh!..ii'pishhh!ii'DHJshh!..uhh.." A single sniffle, testing to make sure he was done. And then a remark almost too low to hear. "... thanks.. for everything, Roderich."

Prussia could feel Austria smile against his neck, and smirked himself when there was a soft chuff of warm air over his skin.

"Hn, fool," Austria said. "You're welcome."

~ fin

[Hachimitsu Tea]

Fffffffffff DORKS >\\\7\\\< this was so perfect, like ohmigod! Embarrassed Prussia is so adorable, and as someone with chronic breathing problems I really felt his pain, poor baby ;w; And Austria was just the perfect mix of concerned, snooty, and prideful <3 I literally laughed out loud when Prussia unintentionally ruined the moment between them XD also, the sneeze spellings and the bit where Austria helped coaxPrussia's sneeze out set me all a-squee >w< I'd love to do another trade with you sometime <3

[Guest]

How a man could be both so infuriating, and now so aww-inducing, was beyond law.

Oww... this is so cute!

I really, really like how you perfectly nailed this austrian character!! Almost everything suits him so very well! Still you managed to make a caretaking sweety out of an usually so proud and arrogant Austria. I love it! <3

An Prussia... OMG ... I don't even know how you did this, but ... AWWW!

You're such a good writer!!!

[Emily]

OH MY GOD HOLY FLIPPING MOTHER OF ALL GODS

THIS IS SO HOT I'M LIKE DEAD

I legit had feels tugging at me from all directions and I had to go all "BE STILL MY BEATING HEART" because omfg this is beautiful. Normally I wouldn't even finish reading something Hetalia related especially if I don't know the characters well enough but holy smokes I am smoke right now because you went past melting me and I literally just evaporated like this text is only happening from the weight of my feels on the keyboard and well basically I'm saying I LOVE YOU AND YOU ARE BRILLIANT PLEASE LET ME KEEP YOU IN MY BASEMENT SO YOU CAN WRITE THINGS FOR ME FOREVER

[snuffles]

Can I just say ditto x infinity on Emily's?? Like seriously it'll save my poor fingers and belovedly tortured heart to get anything coherent out! Just copy and paste her comment and keep going until your keyboard wears out and that might be somewhere near sufficient!

I've been stalking this from the beginning and when I logged in and saw the update, I ended up being late for work butitwasworthit! I read this soon after you posted it, and again later that day, then again but I STILL couldn't possibly post anything at all because of buttons, they have been pressed!! I can't even pick a part otherwise I'd end up quoting the whole thing!

A manly egotistic and arrogant show off reduced to tears? Oooh the feels! A dignified aristocrat in denial? Augh my heart! And THEN you just had to throw in an eternally stuck sneezy state and all those buttons exploded! I can't believe I'm even writing this in full sentences. Wait,what? I think my brain just rebooted.

Edited September 20, 2014 by snuffles

[lillian]

You've converted this cold whore.

Like seriously, this is perfect. Absolutely perfect. EVERYTHING ABOUT IT. I think I'm just going to read it every day until I die. Perfection.

[Kaede]

I love this story so much that I'm afraid if I comment I won't be able to describe it well enough. I know this must have been a lot of work, but it was amazing... so... I suppose the best thing to say is can we please have a third part?

[Bobsuperawesome]

I THINK I JUST DIED AND WENT TO SNEEZY HEAVEN BECAUSE I'M DEAD

[Sarah Hall]

That was beautiful. You are so awesome you should be proud of yourself. Everyone was so in character and I just wanted to take care of Prussia myself the poor baby!! You have such talent thank you so much for sharing with us! <3

[lillian]

Ooooh I just thought of a perfect Preface for this! I was wondering, what if Prussia suddenly developed allergies after he moved back in with Germany? Allergies are a fairly recent phenomenon, due to people generally living less outdoorsy lives. What if, the spring after he gets back, Prussia develops allergies? Of course Germany absolutely freaks out and goes on a mad hunt to fix him. May I write it if I give you credit?

[sneezysniffles]

That was.... beautiful. I don't know what else to say. It was just beautiful.

[Maus_17]

Everything was so in character, and I loved Prussia's thought process! You write him fantastically, and I really enjoyed the realistic-ness (I made it up okay XD) of everything! I especially enjoyed it when he was on the bench, and really vulnerable. Very on point, and I really enjoyed the fluffy feels. Keep up the amazing work!

[SterlingSilver]

Seriously you guys~ You're all too nice~ It's reviews like these that make me want to write more and more >w<~!

@ Tea

I am SO SO SO GLAD YOU LIKED IT~! I always feel weird bumping the thread unless I have another story part, so sorry this took me so long to respond to xDD. It made me so happy to do this for you, and I hope we can trade again, for sure!

@ Luin

Thank you so much for your kind words~! I'm glad you thought I did the characters well xD I was worried about that haha~

@ Emily

OMGH EMILY MY EGO IS NOW AS BIG AS A HOUSE THANKS TO YOUUUU xDDDD I am really happy you read this even though you don't normally read things like this! xDDD That's a mark of a good writer, and it makes me proud >w<.. YES LET'S HAVE BASEMENT SLUMBER PARTIESSSS~

@ snuffles

Haha! Thank you thank you thank youuu~! I'm so glad you enjoyed x33 You're so sweet >w<

@ lillian

ahahaha~! I read your stuff all the time, so it's a honor knowing you liked mine~!!

@ Kaede

Haha~! Thank you! And yes you may >w>!

@ ouranlover2

NO PLZ DON'T DIE COME BACK xDDD I'm glad you liked it!

@ Sarah Hall

QwQ! Thank youuu x333 It was my pleasure! You're review warmed my heart~

@ sneezysniffles

Thank you very much! You're a sweetheart x33

@ Maus17

Thank you so much! I'll definitely try >w<!

[SterlingSilver]

A/N: Hey all! Decided I would just add another part to this because I was having a good time with it and people seemed to enjoy it >w<! Thanks for all the encouragement, because without you guys and your sweet compliments, I wouldn't feel as motivated as I do! I hope you all like it <3

~Game On~

Part 3

When he woke up that morning, Austria would not have thought he’d spend the afternoon spooning Prussia. Spooning anybody, really, but especially Prussia. Up until today, the Austrian was sure the guy hated him. That, apparently, was not the case. Austria had the snot stains and Prussia’s spider-monkey grip to prove it.

In the span of a few hours since they got to the hotel, Austria had gotten Prussia in the shower, forced some Benadryl down his throat, and switched on the TV to the Olympic games to keep track of the scores – the only thing the networks were really showing, anyway. It hadn’t taken more than minutes for Prussia to drift, doze, and then completely crash. And shortly thereafter, Austria discovered Prussia was much more touchy-feely than he had even originally demonstrated.

It was endearing. The silver-haired ex-nation was a socially awkward warrior, a loner by association and perhaps not by choice. Austria never would have pegged him for a cuddler, but Prussia was even more than that – he was a clinger. While asleep, Prussia had maneuvered himself into a twine of flesh, arms and legs and torso wrapped around Austria in a way that made it nigh impossible to move. Instead of being annoyed or exasperated, Austria found himself embarrassingly touched. All Prussia seemed to want was familiar, affectionate contact…and he had come to Austria for such a thing.

Fool, Austria mused, smiling.

Still, as sweet as it was, now Austria was mired in Prussia’s grip. He couldn’t easily get out, and didn’t want to try for fear of waking the sick man beside him. Allergies were seriously things, and it loosened a knot in Austria’s chest to note Prussia’s hives were finally abating. His sinuses were still grid-locked however, as he mouth-breathed and drooled against Austria’s neck. Once, Prussia’s tongue had snaked out and caused Austria to jerk in surprise. That hadn’t happened again, thankfully.

At least he didn’t have anywhere he really needed to be. If Prussia needed it, Austria supposed he could forfeit an afternoon to the bed. Yes, some of his body was beginning to fall asleep, and he was fairly sure he would be unhappy when it came time to get up, but it was a small sacrifice. Until, of course, Prussia shifted position.

Austria did catch colds quite a bit, and had a mild allergy to something or another, but he wasn’t a frequent sneezer to begin with. However, Prussia moved a little with a sigh, making Austria tense in case he woke-… but then he just nuzzled against Austria’s neck and lapsed still again. In the brief span of seconds it took for him to move, blood rushed back to some of Austria’s limbs and they began to tingle. And so did his nose.

Turning cross-eyed to get purchase on the situation, Austria saw that a particularly perky lock of Prussia’s hair was teasing the edge of one nostril. Without his permission, said nostril flared in mild irritation at the intrusion, but an urge did not come from it, just the persistent feeling of something tickling him, which was maddening within itself. Austria tried to endure it for as long as he could, but after only a few minutes, it was far too distracting to just accept.

Austria tried to jostle himself further away, but Prussia clung all the tighter, and the little sprig of hair ended up inside Austria’s nose. He froze, eyes wide behind his glasses as he tried not to make it worse; the unpleasant tingling was morphing into a probing tickle, despite his intentions. Perhaps if he just breathed through his mouth, he could… Prussia nuzzled again, and the strands of his fine hair brushed gently against the walls of Austria’s twitching nostril.

Gritting his teeth, the young master tried to lean back to slip the hair out before it spiraled out of hand. Unfortunately, his position and the pillows behind him kept him from adequately turning his head. Each time he tried, he met resistance from either the bed, or Prussia. And to add insult to injury, the hair kept stroking his delicate nasal nerves. There was no winning in this situation.

Prussia’s thigh strayed over Austria’s groin, and he took a sharp breath through his nose. The hair fluttered, tickling unbearably, and he would have sneezed in pure reflex had he not held back by sheer willpower. That didn’t stop him from letting out a quivering breath, however, “hhhaaa…”

Just as Prussia has naturally smallish, cute sneezes (unless he was consciously inflating them or something was really bothering him), Austria actually had very sharp, barking sneezes that seemed to just spring out of him. It was horrendously embarrassing, so he stifled always. But right now, his arms were trapped. He could only lay there and breath against the very thing that was teasing one of those terrible sneezes right out of him.

If Prussia hadn’t been ill, Austria might have gladly woken him up with an elbow to the neck right about now. It didn’t feel like the right or cordial thing to do right now, however. Prussia had been so very ill and miserable, Austria would feel despicable if he woke him. So he held on, trying to focus on the warmth of Prussia’s body or the excited commentary from the Olympic announcers on the TV.

Prussia twitched suddenly, sniffling, and the hair in Austria’s nose passed feather-soft over a very active, very ready nerve. Eyes watering, Austria kept his lips closed as he felt the breath in him build, and then jerked in place with Herculean effort.

“nngckk!” It was a purely nasal sneeze, but thankfully it wasn’t very messy. Not thankfully, it had failed to remove the irritant, and Austria felt himself shuddering with another before he could do a think about it. “nngcckk-!.. chhuu..”

He had to let out the little chuff of air after, desperate to release the pressure of stifling without his hands. Prussia damn well better be grateful for everything Austria was trying to do for him, including choking down sneezes that really shouldn’t be contained. He lay panting, eyes streaming, nostrils flaring wildly as he waited for the next,

“nngckk!”

.. and the next..

“nngckk!”

.. and the next-

“nngckk!.. chuu..”

and the n-

The blaring tone of Prussia’s cellphone, set to a pop song Austria found distasteful, struck up its tune from the night stand.

“HAA’KSCCCTTT!!”

Oh, shit, he hadn’t meant to do that. But it had felt amazing. His lungs, encouraged, yoinked a giant breath, and Austria shook the bed with his next, “HAA’KSCTT!!”

His eyes closed in bliss, nostrils still revolting and shivering from the hair incubated inside. He was going to keep sneezing, over and over, until it was removed. Now that he was in the rhythm, he didn’t feel like stopping.

“Ohh.. AAKK’TTSCHHHTT!” And it wasn’t until this third one that he realized what he was doing – sneezing loudly and unbridled, cell phone melody pounding and vibrating, while Prussia literally snored on without any clue. It was actually impressive.

Empowered by Prussia’s heavy sleeping, Austria wrenched an arm free with only a drowsy moan of protest from his bedmate, and scrabbled for the cell phone to shut it up. His movements grew clumsy and slow as the hair rubbed and rubbed against his slowly-sensitizing nerves while Prussia shifted in bed.

“Ugh.. gkk-..HAH’PPSCSHHHT!!.. UGH’SSCHHHTT!..” Winded, Austria finally managed to turn in a way where he could get his nose free of onslaught. That didn’t mean the tickle was gone, but the urge wasn’t so immediate or strong. Prussia glued himself to Austria’s back, and Austria wondered if the Prussian realized how much of a clinger he actually was.

Finally he snatched the cell and was going to immediately hang up, but then he saw the name in the call window – “Bruder.” And Austria knew enough to know who that was. With a vague sense of terror, but responsibility, he quickly answered and settled back onto the bed. Prussia, sleep-drowsy yet insistent, grabby-handed his way into a koala position as Austria grunted a panting, “Hello?”

“Bruder? Wo bist du?” The tinny voice on the other end was definitely Ludwig Beilschmidt. Austria swallowed, trying to ignore the dry prickling at the back of his sinuses.

“Mr. Beilschmidt? This is Roderich Edelstein…”

There was a heavy pause, then a slow answer. “Roderich… Where is my brother?”

Austria felt himself shiver a tiny bit, hearing the very-present anger in that voice. He could understand where Germany was coming from. Here was his big brother, an ex-nation with no real presence or military, very vulnerable to attack from just about any nation who wanted to make Germany their bitch.

“He’s right here asleep,” Austria assured, trying hard to make it not seem like a hostage situation. “His allergies were – ”

“I want to talk to him,” Germany said. Demanded, honestly. Austria, again, could see why he would be suspicious. It wasn’t as if he and Germany had fantastic history together, even though those wars were behind them. The pricking, tickling sensation that had stayed with Austria started surging to a head, so he turned his head to his shoulder.

“mmpt!”

Prussia nuzzled again, shifting. He really was a heavy sleeper, but Austria blamed it on the Benadryl. Putting the phone back to his ear, Austria jumped when Germany suddenly shouted.

“Put him on the phone!”

“He’s asleep!” Austria hissed helplessly, trying to keep his voice low. “I gave him some – ”

“I don’t care! Wake him!”

Jittery and now alarmed, Austria conceded and began to gently call to Prussia. “Gilbert. Gilbert!” But of course the country didn’t even react, dead asleep despite his sounds and movements when Austria jostled him. Biting his lower lip, Austria reached and smoothed a hand over Prussia’s chest; there was still a wheeze to his breathing.

“Gilbert..?”

“GILBERT?!” Germany was yelling over the phone. Austria held the offending object away from his ear, talking loudly and sharply.

“Please kindly stop shouting, Mr. Beilschmidt! He’s medicated, so give me just a moment to – ”

Apparently the touching and elevated noise was enough to heft Prussia from his deepest sleep, and he blinked himself slowly awake, shivering once as he looked around. Austria stared down at him with soft eyes, which only grew softer as he saw Prussia realize what exactly he was doing: holding onto Austria like a boa constrictor.

To his relief and his disappointment, Prussia hurriedly extricated himself with embarrassed, groggy movements. His cheeks were as red as Austria had ever seen them, bloodshot eyes preferring to stare anywhere except for Austria’s. Tenderly, Austria handed Prussia the phone, which he looked at curiously before taking it. They could both hear Germany’s faint voice screaming, panicked, through the receiver.

“Bruder..?” Prussia asked, putting the phone to his ear. He was cringing inwardly and outwardly for being such a huge baby-… he can’t believe he had fallen asleep and basically intimately assaulted Austria in the process. Prussia actually hadn’t meant to go to bed because he knew he would end up gluing himself to the nearest warm body. He had done it to West plenty of times, and the awkwardness of it never wore off now that they were adults.

Germany huffed a huge sigh. “Don’t scare me like that.”

Prussia was still sleep-heavy, but he quirked a grin. “Isn’d thad sombthi’g I should be sayi’g?”

There was a beat of silence while Germany took in Prussia’s voice, and his next reply started off with an accusing tone. “You – ”

“Forgod by bedication, yeah,” Prussia finished, squinting up at the ceiling. He was feeling very spacey, but better than before he slept. His nose was still a problem though, as he tested its resistance with a quick wrinkle at the bridge, and was awarded with a reflex, “isktshh!itsshh!”

“AAK’SCHHHTT!”

Prussia jumped, heart jack hammering, and looked over at Austria. The man was adjusting his glasses, stiff, and leveled Prussia with a scowl when he caught him looking. When Prussia stared long enough, Austria had to finally give into a small sniffle, and the visual was enough to cheer Prussia’s spirits.

Apparently Austria was a bit of a sympathetic sneezer sometimes. Cute. Then he snapped out of it and tried to focus on Germany’s lecture on the other end of the phone.

“-ould be more careful about things like this, Gil, you know your lungs can’t take high levels of pollen like this. I should have been more attentive..” And of course the self-blaming had begun already. Germany was always ready to blame himself for something. Prussia sighed, and supposed it couldn’t be helped. The world blamed him for many things, after all.

“D’ot your fault,” he said, and then shivered. His blood sugar was low since he hadn’t had anything to eat that day, and it made him cold. As goosebumps broke over his skin in one moment, he was surprised to feel warmth at his back. Austria had moved himself behind Prussia, legs on either side, easing him back to lay against him. Neither men said a word as they did this, though Prussia tried and failed not to smile.

“It is my fault,” Germany was insisting. “You’re forgetful, and I should have remembered to check. I was just so caught up in packing and the schedule.. I noticed the signs last night, but did nothing about it…”

“Because I did’d wantd you to.. t-.. itskkushh!itsshhuu!.. hih’ktschhuh!” He sniffled, grateful that at least his head wasn’t hurting anymore. His throat kind of did though. Still, as shitty as he still felt, he couldn’t bring himself to be unhappy or regretful. He had a lovely Austrian settling behind him, warmer than any body he could have wished for.

“Look,” he said firmly. “Jusd endjoy yourself today, okay? Big bro’s orders.”

“…but you need your medication,” Germany said quietly. Prussia grinned, because he could hear the hope in Germany’s voice. The wish that Prussia would pony up and be the big brother like he used to be, and Germany didn’t have to worry about it.

“Don’d worry aboud id,” Prussia said, and he meant it. This wasn’t him trying to guilt-trip Germany, or manipulate him. He made his voice very blunt and honest. “I’b fine. Roderich’s here with be, and we’re dot leaving the hotel ady timb soon.”

Everyone paused, realizing how that might sound. Prussia’s ears turned hot and red, and Austria, unable to help himself, rubbed a thumb along the shell. Prussia’s breath caught, and Germany cleared his throat.

“Yes, well-.. I’ll.. be around if you need me,” he said, a bit terse but not angry. Just awkward. Prussia felt awkward too, and glared over his shoulder at Austria, who only blinked back owlishly.

“Yeah, thanks,” he said, still watching Austria, noting the slight flush to his nostrils. “I’ll be ind touch.”

They didn’t bother with the formal goodbyes, and Prussia flipped his phone closed, tossing it on the bed. The two men looked at one another, no one moving, until Prussia reached and pulled the cover up over them. And if he snuggled down a little more forcefully against Austria just to see the nation catch his breath and clench his fists, well… that was his business.

Prussia still felt a little airy, floating from the medication. He was coherent, but his usual penchant for witty banter and dirty humor wasn’t up to par. Sighing against Austria, Prussia let his head lull to the side so his cheek was to Austria’s chest.

“This is…” He paused, shy, but pushed on. “.. okay?”

Austria was quiet for a moment, but his hand kept rubbing up and down Prussia’s arm, chafing warmth. “… I suppose.”

“That’s kinda dubious consent, young master,” Prussia snarked, tilting his head back to look up him. Austria let his lips fall against Prussia’s forehead, muttering against the skin. It was almost too quiet to hear.

“…yes.”

Prussia smiled wider, feeling a warmth buoy up in his chest. He had wanted companionship like this for so long, so much, that he given up on finding it. And while it was scary to have it now because it felt so fragile and fleeting, he was loathe to spoil it by worrying.

“Good,” he said, and looked forward again. Austria did not pull back in time, however, and Prussia’s spiky, soft hair grazed his nose, slipping inside. If this was the first time, it might not have bothered him. But it wasn’t.

Reaching up, Austria pinched his nose closed and trembled with a pulse that Prussia felt too. He frowned in surprise, looking up again just as Austria lowered his hand, twitching his nose all around.

“Was thad a sdneeze?” he asked, a brow raised. He wasn’t a sympathetic sneezer by any means, so it didn’t incite anything more than a bemused glint in his eye. Austria answered immediately.

“No.”

“Because if id was – ”

“It wasn’t.”

“ – id was cute as hell.”

Austria looked away, faintly embarrassed and very frustrated. There was still a flinchy, itchy look to that little nose though.

“Hmmbb..” Prussia mused, sniffling, and then he was struck with an idea. Wrinkling his nose up, he hitched a soft breath, and felt Austria tense a little beneath him. “Fuddy timbing, ‘cuz… eh..” Prussia snuffled again, having sneezed so much the past two days he was confident he could fake one.

“I feel ehh-” Prussia’s chest inflated quickly, and then he uneasily exhaled. Beneath him, he felt Austria lift an arm to rub at his face, mostly his nose. Prussia tried to up the ante. “Ugh, it’s so tickgly, Rod-.. like a long feather floating around in there, swiping agains-.. saah-.. ahh!”

“hhih-..” Austria hitched.

He felt it more than he heard it, and felt compelled to keep going. This was actually really fun. Never did he think someone could sneeze just by thinking too hard about it. “.. jusd wantd to.. sdn-.. sdnee.. sdeee..hih, hih, hih! AHH-“

“HAA-KSCCHHTT!”

Prussia felt the force of it shake the bed, shake him, and he would have given anything to make Austria do it again. A sneeze like that, however, was one that didn’t come often. Prussia was a fittish sneezer and Austria wasn’t. He never would have pegged such a rough, sailor-sneeze on the aristocrat, though.

Laughing, Prussia patted Austria’s knee. “Bless you!”

“Shut up,” Austria groused, sinking against the bed with a defeated sort of posture. He sniffed, dry and clear, and for fun Prussia sniffled in return. Bad idea. Or good idea. One of them.

“itsshh!hiskksuu!ITSSHUU!”

“uh-..AAH’KASCHHHST!” Austria bucked with it, the force strong, and then pounded a fist on the mattress. “Dammit! Stop!”

Prussia laughed again, reaching for a tissue so he could finally blow his nose and clear out the muck. Austria joined him, trying to vent out any residual irritation that might result in yet another involuntary duet to Prussia’s sneezes.

“How come that’s never happened before?” Prussia asked. “I’ve sneezed like a million times before now.”

“I wasn’t as sensitive then as I am now,” Austria grumbled from behind a tissue, where he wiped at his nose. Sighing, he threw it with Prussia’s growing pile. Prussia quirked a brow.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It…” Austria thought about explaining, but then found it too embarrassing and long winded. “My nose just itches, that’s all.”

Prussia didn’t think it was the full answer, but he let it slide as they cuddled there on the bed. At least for a moment.

“.. Will it happen every time?”

Austria sighed, knitting his brows. “I have no idea, can we just – ”

“For how long?”

“Let’s drop it.”

Prussia tried, and instead focused on Austria’s breathing, felt it at his back, and then impulsively huffed a breath.

“Hatschi!” Prussia did his best impression of a fake sneeze, and Austria leveled him with a wry gaze. Grinning, Prussia felt himself blush. “Just wondered if it happened with fake sn-.. shit, itschh!hh’gsishh!!”

“A’SCHHHT!.. PRUSSIA.”

Prussia just laughed, feeling worlds better in many ways. Just as impulsively, he reached down and grabbed Austria’s hand closing his eyes as he rested it against his stomach. He smiled.

“Bless you.”

And even though he couldn’t see it or feel it, Prussia knew Austria smiled too.

Edited October 24, 2014 by BlackScatter

[BlobOfGodness]

Jesus. Fucking. Christ.

Those. First. Two. Parts.

*Breathes in very sharply*

I read them, and I must now read the third. But before I do, there is something you must be made aware of:

This is pure fetishists genius. You are pure fetishist genius. You have earned a life time supply of theoretical cookies on my part. I mean, I read the first part and girl squealed un endlessly. And I am some one who seldom fan squeals.

The characters were themselves, the sneezing was on point, the scenario was divine. And seeing one of my favorite characters on this show become vulnerable in the best way(s) possible was the cherry on top. Everything was well done. COOKIES FOR YOU.

NOW, I am bracing my self. It's time to read the third part.... *EHHH*....

[BlobOfGodness]

Well, part three was just as good!

God, are you like- Ugh! I love this so much it irks me! Having Austria sneeze was what I'd been waiting for, and that awkward call (I loved that)- just, well done.

[Maus_17]

WAAAAAAAAUGH this was amazing. I loved it so much. Ludwig's concern was on point, and Gilbert's snuggling pulled at my heart strings. Nffff! Amazing job, BlackScatter! <3

[Guest]

Oh my!! So many great parts in this!! I've been rereading it the third time now and I still feel like there's something I've not been noticing at the first time.

I loved Germany How you wrote this call-thing is just so admirable!! In general, it's just amazing. I'd love to read more like this!!

Especially, I really like, how the characters are evolving a little, with every part you write. And somehow they seem to get more and more awesome. You're great, really! No need to feel insecure about your skills!

[Akahana]

Oh my god the third part is beautiful and hot is so many wayyyyyyys!!! This is my fourth time reading it and I'm still all tingly. Austria is one of my favorite characters and all the inducing and teasing is just so arousing <3

Unf you're writing is damn gorgeous