GermanyxReader: Finally Home (Oneshot X3)

You sighed, glancing up at the clock once more. “Where is he?!” You whispered anxiously. “Liebe…where are you?” Biting your lip, you continued to read your book. It was eight o’ clock at night, and there was still no sign of the handsome German. The dinner you had poured hours into making sat on the dinner table, colder than stone. It wasn’t like your husband of five years to be late to anything. What could be keeping him?

~Flashback To Earlier Today ^^~

A low rumbling groan caused you to open your eyes, squinting at the light. You heard a German voice mumbling and looked over to see your husband sitting up. Smiling, you whispered, “Liebe…” as you leaned up to kiss his cheek. “Guten Morgen, Deutschland.”

An extremely rare smile crept on his lips as he returned a loving kiss to your forehead, pleased at hearing you speak his native tongue. “Guten Morgen, ___. How did you sleep?” He asked as he started to dress for work.

You yawned and propped yourself up against the headboard of the bed. “Good, quite good. You?”

He merely nodded, stomping down the hall to the bathroom. “Ja, I slept gut.” You frowned at his reaction and vaulted out of bed, following him. Leaning against the doorframe, you half-smiled as Ludwig swept his hair back with one try. “Talented as he is handsome.” You smirked.

Another rare smile appeared as his blue eyes met yours. “But…a more…much more talented and beautiful wife.” He buttoned up his coat and adjusted his hat, striding over to you. He had to admit, you were adorable in your white cotton nightgown….just waiting for him to come and sweep you into his arms, waiting for him to carry you back to bed to be pampered with kisses. But I have work…. He thought regretfully.

"Does the ‘much more talented and beautiful wife’ get a kiss from the ‘much, much, much more talented as he is handsome’ husband?” Your lips curved into a grin, loving the gentle teasing that played between you two. It made you feel special: only you could tease him and make him smile. Only you could make the inner Ludwig come alive, only you could make him feel special....as special as he made you feel. You held the key to the gruff man’s heart, and you made sure to water his dry heart with love every day. You stood on your tiptoes, lips connecting with his in a warm passionate fire that stirred every fiber of your heart. The roughness of his lips and the sweet firmness of yours seemed to connect in a heavenly way that allowed emotion to be poured in, soothing his heart and yours. You kissed him lovingly, only to be broken by the clock, signaling fifteen minutes had passed. Reluctantly you pulled back and gently pushed him. “Don’t be late for supper, it’s going to be good." You warned, smiling sadly.

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” And with that, your tall German kissed your cheek and left with a final wave.

~End of Flashback~

You looked up at the clock again, momentarily distracted by the beauty of it. Ludwig had handcrafted it for you as a third year anniversary present. Inside the lid held your wedding picture, one where Ludwig was actually smiling! Your warm eyes drifted into the past as you thought of your wedding…and what joy it brought you to finally become his wife, memories washing themselves through your worried system….the immense thrill it was to be his….and his alone. The joy it brought you to see him every day when he arrived home, the sheer excitement to kiss his sweet mouth when he held you, the glee when he acted sleepy and leaned on you, dependent on you and your tender care. The wonders married life held for you: Teasing with words, touches, and sometimes, even light-hearted punishment. You secretly loved it when he would “punish” you for not cleaning up part of the house or ironing his shirts in the exact manner he liked. Of course, Gilbirt would still come by to visit at odd hours of the night….but you were with the man you loved…and he loved you back…and nothing, not even France could change that.

Sighing, you stood and slammed your book shut, dropping it on the couch. “Ludwig, where are you?! Why aren’t you home?”

~~~/\~~~

The clock struck midnight, abruptly waking you. “LUDWIG!” You screamed, clutching a pillow. Heavy footsteps thundered down the hall, as he stormed in. “___?! Are you all right?!”

“L-Ludwig?” Your facial expression was shock. “Why didn’t you wake me?! How long have you been home?! Where were yo-“ His figure vanished.

The real clock struck eleven. Your head shot up, looking wildly around for Ludwig. “Ludwig?! Are you….so…” You sighed, clutching the pillow. “It….it was a dream?”

~~~/\~~~

The (real) German walked in, muttering in strings of German as he entered the house, stomping dirt onto the rug. His powerful strides brought him into the dining room, his eyes widening at the sight of the meal ____ had prepared. How long had it been there, three, four, five hours? The thought of him not being able to tell her he loved it and appreciated her effort smote his heart. And she specifically told me to be here…. “___?” Where is she?

Carefully he marched into the living room, seeing ___ asleep clutching pillows. “Liebe…___....are you awake?” Another twinge of pain washed over him as he watched his beautiful wife’s face scrunched into a worried expression. He claimed the spot beside her sweet figure and smoothed a strand of hair from her face. “ ____....I’m sorry….”

His heart was torn into shreds with guilt dripping from every corner. He felt like a monster, not even appearing for the dinner she had specifically made for him. “___....can you forgive me?” He whispered into your ear, hand weaving itself into her hair. “I didn’t mean to be late….” Sighing, he leaned into the back of the couch, wondering what to do. He was obliged to make it up to you, not only because he had to, but because he wanted to. But how? He thought, mind wandering into space, Let’s face it, I’m not the most romantic….It was true. He remembered countless times during the engagement when he tried to plan an outing for ___ and himself, always ending in failures. This one could not fail, it must work! What to do…. His mind traveled back in time, thinking of his brother, and how he handled women. Although Elizaveta was not always Gilbirt’s steady partner, she sort of bounced in between Rodreich’s companionship and Gilbirt’s. “Surely she’d know something…” he mumbled, standing up. Ludwig walked into his home office, and started to dial.

~~~/\~~~

The first sound you heard was crackling, the second, hissing. “Hmm?” You mumbled sleepily, sitting up to rub your eyes. A large fire was roasting in the fireplace, warming up the room. You smelled hot chocolate, and immediately wondered if you were dreaming again. “What’s going on?....Who is here? When did the fire appear? When did I have a fireplace?!” Hearing footsteps, you followed their sound into the kitchen and bumped into Ludwig. “Liebe! You’re alive!” You tackled his side, hugging his waist.

“Careful, ___, you wouldn’t want me to spill the drinks.” His thickly-accented voice replied as he carefully set down the drinks. Since the lights were out, he couldn’t see your face, but your squeezing hug showed him just how deeply you had been worried. Angry at himself for causing you grief, he hugged you back tightly, kissing your head.

“Where were you?! What happened?! I missed you! You missed supper! Are you feeling wel-“ A firm hand covered your mouth to stop the rapid flowing questions. “All in good time, love. Come with me.” He grabbed the tall mugs and strolled into the living room, sitting down on the couch. After setting the hot chocolate on the coffee table, he looked up at you smiling sadly. The flickering light danced across the room, highlighting your husband’s hair gently. Although the room was not brightly lit, the dull glow seemed to seal the private moment out of time’s grip. It wasn’t meant for anyone else but you two. Your anxiety washed over you, tears budding out of your eyes and spilling onto your cheeks.

You sat down beside him and wiped your eyes, relieved he was home. “I was so worried…” you whispered, resting your head on his chest. Your ears caught the familiar sound of his heartbeat as his arms enveloped you closer to him. Exhaling deeply as you pushed into his chest more, you softly said “I…I thought you…y-you had-“

“Shhhh…..,liebling,….it’s all right.” He interrupted, kissing your head. “I should have called.” Ludwig wove his rough fingers lovingly in your hair as he stared into the fire. “I’m here now…..with you….”

Squeezing your eyes shut, your anger and worry started to fade away as your husband whispered lovingly in strings of German, stroking your hair and watching the fire. Ludwig…. You thought slowly. His passionate words flowed through you, soothing any worry that popped up. As his hug tightened, security and warmth covered you from head to toe as you leaned closer to him, desperate to be as close as possible. Time seemed to tick slower and slower until it appeared nonexistent in the world created by you and him. Your fingers clutched at his clothes, tugging him closer to you…your fears growing that if you didn’t grab him, he’d slip away from you forever.

Ludwig sensed your anxiety and continued attempting to soothe you by whispering loving words in your ear, praying that they would prove that he was here to stay. His guilt grew as he heard snippets of whimpering coming from his shirt, realizing that it was you. “Liebe….liebe, I’m here…I’m here.” He repeated slowly. He’d repeat those words forever if he had to.

“W-why….w-why? Y-you said you w-wouldn’t miss d-dinner…” You looked up at his chin, awaiting his explanation. You knew he had one, but instead of waiting to let him tell you when he thought best, you wanted it now. This wasn’t the first time this had happened, and each time the situation seemed to escalate more and more quickly. You weren’t angry….but you weren’t far away from it either.

As he stared into the fire, stroking your hair, the words bounced around in his mind as he contemplated how to tell you. With a sigh, quietly he began to explain. “I normally finish my paperwork around quarter till six and come home, but today was different.” He paused to reflect on the day and continued with, “I…I had more paperwork, due to the fact that my co-worker had not arrived for work and so I had to do his work as well as my own. Mein boss gave me more work to complete, and by the time I finished it was half past nine. Since I was angry at leaving so late, I decided to take a shortcut and come home a different route.”

“Oh?” was your soft reply. You knew his workload was quite hefty, and having to complete doubled work was difficult. You made a mental note to help him relax after this was over.

“Ja. Well, the police had blocked off the road and were not letting anyone pass. Someone -“

You opened your eyes as you listened to his tale, tilting your head to meet his. His words faded into oblivion as you focused on his mouth, smiling. He was just too tempting sometimes. With a smirk your lips interrupted his with a warm kiss as your hands moved to rest on his neck. Caught off guard, Ludwig blushed but returned the kiss, his hand framing your face, tilting it to make the kiss deeper. It seemed as if Heaven itself had poured its blessings into the kiss as your lips remained connected with his, passion, warmth, love, devotion, and longing seeped into the kiss, strengthening it immensely. His rough lips felt so….so complete against your own, as if they were meant to be locked with yours for all of eternity….his mouth perfectly fit with yours….your mind flashed back to a story your mother had told you:

~Flashback~

“Now ___.....I’m going to tell you a story. This is about paper dolls. Once upon a time, paper dolls wandered around the earth, happy as can be. One day, a paper doll was ripped in half from top to bottom; one half called Man, the other called Woman. All of the other paper dolls were ripped in half from top to bottom as well, each seeking out their partner. Some had settled for the second best fit, while others continued to roam the earth, seeking for their other half. Only if they found their true half would they ever be complete. ___. You must find your half. He’s out there…somewhere.

~End~

That’s how he fit. He was your other half….he was Man…and you were Woman. Ludwig fit with you…he was your true partner. Your true love. Sweetly you kissed, slowly creeping closer to him, wanting to cling to him and never let him go. He was the best thing that ever happened to you. You didn’t care how cliché it sounded….he…was…your everything…..you needed him. You ached for him with every fiber of your being.…like a desert begged for rain. A drink of water for a thirsty person. He was a well of rain for your driest summer. Your cheeks were dusted pink as you kissed until the supply of oxygen was running low. Slowly you parted. “I understand….it’s all right….I’m just glad you’re home. I am so glad you’re home.” Your eyes peered into his blue orbs, wanting to know what he’d say.

A lovely smile played across his mouth. “So am I liebe…so am I.” he replied as he leaned inwards for another kiss, deeper than the first. As his lips met ___’s once more, relief washed over him that the plan had worked. Thank you Elizaveta….for helping me think of this plan. He gratefully thought as ___ kissed back, hands resting in the crook of his neck. He loved the feeling of ___ her in his arms….the feeling of protection…of love….of security that pumped through his veins. He loved this feeling of being ____’s husband…being the one who would get to envelop her into his chest in bed every night, the one who could tease her with kisses and loving words, the one who would be there to wipe away her tears, the one who would be there when she needed someone to listen to her. He would be that one. As the kiss parted, his large fingers grazed over her fourth finger, a smile creeping up his face as he fingered the gold band that symbolized his vow he made five years ago to honor, cherish, protect, love, and be with ___ till death did them part.

“___.....ich liebe dich…” Ludwig whispered, gently resting his cheek on your head.

You smiled at his soft words, his feelings swallowing you whole, making you tingle from head to foot, snuggling deeper into his chest. “Ich liebe dich auch…Deutschland.”