Whiskey Lullaby -PruAus APH-

Chapter One

I open my eyes slowly. I'm suddenly overwelmed with the sound of my younger brothers yelling.

"East, get off your ass." Ludwig yelled, throwing on of the couch cushions at me. I slowly raised my head. Ludwig sat dressed in uniform on the couch adjacent to the one I had fallen asleep on.

"What? Where's the fire?" I said, half awake. Slowly, I raised myself to sit on the couch. As I did, a sharp pain rang through my head. The stabbing pain only intensifying when I opened my eyes fully to see the light that was flooding the living room of my brothers and my small apartment. "Mein gott, West, close the damn blinds once in a while would you?" I said, shielding my eyes with my hands.

"It's not my fault that your hungover." The German said.

"I am not hungover." I said. In an attempt to prove my point, I stand up. But the headache and the brightness of the room cause me to lose my balance and I stumble back, falling onto the couch.

Just then there's a loud knock at the door. The banging causes loud ringing to echo through my ears in painful repetition.

"I'll get it, but don't you go back to sleep, East." Ludwig spoke, his words harsh. Like a generals orders. And like that he left the room, walking to the door.

"Oh, hello." He said, opening the door. "Italy, come inside." After Ludwig finish speaking I heard the door close.

A small brunette man came bounding happily into the living room.

Oh joy.

"Italy, nice to see you." I said in a half enthusiastic voice. I gently rubbed my temple, trying to ease the aching in my mind.

"Hello Prussia! It's sure been a while! Why are you rubbing your forehead? Are you okay? I'm sure it's nothing some pasta couldn't fix!" The Italian spoke fast and with a lot of energy. His energetic voice was matched with equally energetic hand gestures and body movements.

"I'm fine, thank you." I say as politely as I can hoping not to seem rude.

"Okay! Well I'm making some for Germany and I so if you change your mind I'm sure there'll be plenty extra for you to share with us!" His smile had to have been forced, no one smiles that much at 9 in the morning.

"Thank you for the offer but... I think I need to get some sleep." I said then started to head to my bed room. I was stopped by West grabbing my wrist and yanking me back so harshly that it almost knocked the wind out of me.

"Oh no, you're not." Germany used his grip on my arm to turn me to face him. "How about you go for a walk Gil." Ludwig said. It was phrased like a suggestion but how he said it made it seem like a military order.

Will I ever get a break?

I heeded my brothers advice and made my way to the apartment door, grabbing my leather jacket off of a coat hook.

"I guess I'll see you later then..." I said to the German and the Italian. Both waved me out.

"~Ciao Prussia!" The Salley man yelled as I left.

Honestly who has that much excitement this early in the morning.

I walked around for about ten minutes before I got bored and decided to go look around at the shops.

In the shopping square, it's always busy. There's no elbow room at all. And it's really easy to rob or to be robbed. I'm no master but I'm fairly good at slight of hand pick-pocketing.

I lean against the wall of one of the shops, hiding in the shade. Watching as people walk past. So many hurried people, none of them paying any attention to the world around me.

I walked slowly to join the crowd of people. Moving against the crowd, I decided to break out the old skills and try something typical.

A man who looked to be dripping money walked towards me with his gaze focused on the papers he was carrying. As he got closer to me I started to watch his movements.

I walked right up to the man, brushing his shoulder enough to knock his papers out of his hands. He went to pick up the papers, which looked like apparent sheet music. I knelt doen to assist him, picking up most of the papers and the jacket he had dropped. I handed him the papers and as he was straightening them out, I slipped my hand into the pocket of his jacket, slipping his wallet out and sliding it into my pocket.

While he finished straightening out his papers I noticed a rather fancy looking watch that he was wearing on his left arm. He reached for his jacket and I laid it across his arm gently, unbluckling the watch as I did and slipping it from the man's wrist. I hid the watch in my sleeve until I put it in my pocket with the man's wallet.

"I apologize for bumping into you sir." I said, trying to sound as sincere as possible. "I'm Gilbert. And you are?"

"Not interested in wasting time with a person such as yourself." The man said, pushing past me and through the crowd.

I thought for a second then raced to catch up with him.

"What do you mean 'such as myself'?" I asked.

"You just don't seem like the kind of person who'd appriciate my skill." The man said, holding his head high with his chin raised at me.

"You mean piano right?" I asked, "maybe I could see you play sometime. I mean, sure it's not my sort of thing but why not."

"I'd rather have people who appriciate the art at my shows." The man said. He then quickly turned to face me, stopping me in my tracks. "Now, if you could return my wallet and watch, then be on your way. That be great."

WHAT?! How'd he notice?

I pulled both objects from my jacket pocket, dropping them into the man's hand. He took them and them rushed off. Not even a goodbye or good day.

How rude.