Sibling!Hetalia x Sibling!Reader (one-shots)

Austria

Tried My Best

Reader's POV:

My fingers trail the piano keys, simply hovering over them, too scared to actually press down. I slowly ghost over some simple chords. My right hand falls to my lap as my left continues. I fool myself into thinking I can actually play. My eyes glance up at the clock in the room, telling me it is 4:18 am. I groan in desperation and bury my head in my hands.

I tug my hair and hold back a cry. A headache arises, causing me to let go of my hair. My eyes wander over the music sheet that was illuminated from the dim light of the lamp. The rest of the room was dark, the lamp only providing enough light for the piano. I wonder if he is awake right now....probably not. 

I sit there for hours, practicing different chords and rhythms. My fingers begin to cramp up from the amount of time I spend here. Before I know it, the sun peaks in through the windows, alerting me that it is morning. I quickly hide the music sheets in a corner of the room. I glance at the clock, it now reading 9:23 am. I let out a sigh and exit the room. Just as I do, Austria is walking down the hallway. I tense up at the sight of him. He raises a brow as he stops in front of me. I nervously smile at him as he glances behind me to look into the music room.

"Good morning, [Y/N]. What are you doing up and about?"

"Oh, you know, just uh- just taking a stroll. I decided to stop here in the music room for a bit. You know, look at the piano and whatnot." I inwardly cringe at my less than sophisticated speech. Austria seems to notice but does not comment. His brow simply raises higher in curiosity but does not dwell.

"I see...Well then, how about breakfast?"

"Wait, actually, I was wondering if you could play for me before we eat breakfast?" I stop him. I sheepishly rub the back of my neck. Austria glances at the open door once more and smiles.

"Of course. Would you like me to play your favorite again?" I smile at his words. He's always more than willing to play my favorite musical piece. And as much as I would like to hear it again, I have other plans.

"Actually, could you play your favorite?" His eyes widen for a split second, not having expected my answer. He continues smiling none the less and wordlessly nods his head. I trail behind him as he enters the room. We both sit on the piano bench. I lean against him as he instantly starts playing. I watch in awe as he plays. His eyes are closed in concentration and his fingers move with grace. I smile and take in the music.

"Wait does this call for one or two layers of apricot jam?" I mumble to myself as I look over the recipe. I read in confusion as the recipe talks about the sachertorte's different variations. Well, I don't care about the different variations, I just want one! I should have expected this from the official company, of course they would try to give me some background about their "oh so fabulous" cake.

I decide to add just one layer. I spread the jam over the chocolate cake before icing it in dark chocolate. I decorate the top to make it more personalized with the leftover dark chocolate. I step back from my creation and smile at my work. I cut myself a slice and serve it alongside a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream. 

I wince as I look at the inside of the cake itself. It was supposed to be a sponge cake but the cake itself was not as bouncy and fluffy as I would like. I take a bite and cringe at the flavor. While the cake itself tasted alright, just dense, the icing was too bitter. The jam didn't even taste like jam, and the unsweetened whipped cream did nothing to help the taste. I place down my plate and let out a sigh. I look around the kitchen at the mess I've made. This is 3rd time I've tried making this cake and I can never seem to get it right.