Two Worlds (Hetalia X Reader)

25. Let Go

He brought you to the art center. The place where your dreams of becoming a professional artist had been crushed. "Why are we here?" You asked, dodging the masses of people.

Gilbert didn't answer you. He pushed you through a door and locked it behind him, heaving a sigh of relief. You recognized the room. It was M. Roussel's office.

Hold on.

Roussel.

Willow Roussel.

"M. Beilschmidt?" An all to familiar voice arose. You looked towards the desk to see M. Roussel getting to his feet. "And you." He watches you shift the notebook behind you.
"Yes that's me." Gilbert strode towards him, holding his hand out to shake. They shake hands.

"Arthur told me you'd be coming." He looked to you. "I'm sorry about how I treated you before. I had my reasons, though."

You stood frozen in front of the door. "He knew about me before?" You were referring to Arthur.

M. Roussel nodded. "He warned me. That's why I turned you away." He laughed nervously. "I can't exactly have portals all around my museum, now can I?"

You stare at him. "I suppose not."

There was an awkward silence. "So are you going to help us destroy this thing or not?" Gilbert asks impatiently.

"I don't want to." You said. "I want to be with you."

"And risk the lives of everyone in my world?" Gilbert glares at you. You cower slightly. He'd never been this angry with you.

"But-" You try again.

"You can't, (Y/n)!" Gilbert yells. "You can't risk the lives of everyone I love just because you have a stupid school girl crush!"

Tears spring to your eyes. School girl crush? He was the one to tell you that he loved you. And did having sex mean nothing to him? You back into the door, attempting to brace yourself against it. Your knees threatened to buckle. "I..." You were unable to finish your sentence. Hell, you were unable to formulate it.

"You need to let go, (Y/n)." His voice cracked when he said your name. His face was scruched up like he was trying not to cry. "Let. Go." He repeated slowly, trying to keep his voice even.

You dropped the notebook before sliding to the floor. A few warm tears slid down your cheeks. "How." You mutter. "How do I do this?" You turn your attention to M. Roussel.

A horrible noise came from Gilbert as he chocked back a sob, but you ignored him. M. Roussel cast a warry look towards him before making his way over to you. He helps you gingerly to your feet. He also scoops up your notebook.

"The first step has just been completed; breaking your strongest tie to said world." He aaid softly, opening the notebook to the page with the portal. "Second step; burn it."
He pushes it into your hands and nods encouragingly. Suddenly the idea of destroying this painting didn't seem like such a big deal anymore. You run your fingers under the edge of the page slowly, the paper crinkling under your touch. Once you arrive at the top corner, you pinch it between your fingers and yank it down. The page tears clean out of the notebook.

Out of the corner of your eyes, you see Gilbert lose his strength and fall to his knees. He braces himself against the desk. Red irises fixate on you but you refuse to look at him.

"Fire." You hold out your hand. A sob from Gilbert. M. Roussel places a Zippo lighter in your palm. Before you burn the page, you hand the rest of the notebook back to M. Roussel. You flip open the lighter and hold the flame to the page.

This ia when Gilbert begins to really cry. His body heaves as he gasps for air, his eys are red and cheeks streaked with tears. Your eyes settle on his face. He stares at you with pleading eyes. He wanted your forgivness. You did forgive him. You needed to do that to have closure. After the portal was gone, there would be no way back to his world except the river. Only, the river surely wouldn't find you worthy enough after this.

Gilbert's voice starts fading out, then his body follows suite, becoming more translucent by the second as the flames eat away at the page. Just before he is about to fade away from your life forever, you smile at him softly; lovingly. "Let go."

***

Once the paper had crumbled to your feet in a pile of ash, your legs turn to jelly and you collapse. M. Roussel catches you and holds you up. Grief hits you hard like a punch to the throat. You can't breath and tears start to fall again. You still loved him. No matter what.

M. Roussel helps you over to the desk and seats you on top of it. You put yourself as far away as possible from the corner that Gilbert had disappeared by. "I know this is hard, miss (L/n)," He opens the notebook and pulls out the page with the dark door on it. "But you need to burn this as well."

You sniffle and take the paper with shaky hands. "I don't have any ties to this world." Your voice is hoarse and shaky.

"All the better." M. Roussel says kindly, pressing the lighter into your palm.

You bring it to the paper and open the lighter, waiting for it to catch fire. Then, this nightmare would be over and you could have a normal night's sleep like a normal person. You wouldn't have to worry about evil countries trying to destroy the good ones.

Only the page didn't catch fire. It wasn't burning. Your stomach dropped. "This doesn't make sense." You want to cry. "I just want this to be over." You dropped the items on the desk and placed your face in your hands. You cried.

"There must be something about that world that you hold close." M. Roussel picked the lighter off the desk and turned it over between his fingers.

"Oh I guarantee you," A sickly, familiar voice makes you pull your face from your hands. Oliver stands at the office door, holding the collar of Ethan's shirt. He shoves him to he floor roughly. "She does."