Chapter Text
Germany buried his face deeper into the piled-up office work scattered across his desk. Endless stacks of documents towered before him, demanding his full attention.
Then, the phone rang-shattering the silence.
"Damn it," he muttered under his breath. The word came out sharper than intended, in fact,sharp enough that a few passerbys outside his office startled at the sound.
He pressed a hand to his forehead and let out a long, exhausted sigh. His gaze drifted to the unfinished-seemingly endless-mountain of paperwork.
He was nowhere close to being done. And just when he thought he was making progress, some worker sent by his boss would appear, piling up even more tasks onto his already full plate.
Such unfairness. The German nation couldn't help but complain.
The phone continued to ring at the edge of his desk. Germany shot it an annoyed glance as his patience wore thin.
"Whoever this unknown caller is," he muttered, "I just hope they aren't the chatty type."
He paused.
"...Like a certain Italian I'm familiar with."
The thought made his expression shift before he could even stop it. His frown softened-just slightly-at the idea that the caller might be his dear friend Italy.
"Vell...as long as he doesn't keep me up for too long," He supposed. It should be fine.
The German finally reached for the phone. It had been ringing nonstop for quite some time now.
"State your business," He said firmly.
"Tch.Potato bastard..."
The voice on the other end of the line was not what he had expected.
His expression fell instantly.
Of course, Ah, Romano.
"What do you want, Romano?" The German said.
"Hah. Like I want to call you."
Germany tightened his grip on the device.
"Then state your business and be quick."
"...It's about that idiot."
Germany scoffed."Which one?"
"Don't act stupid. Italy,"
The silence on the line stretched longer than necessary.
"It's his birthday," Romano finally said. "I'm...planning something."
Germany frowned." And why does this concern me."
Romano clicked his tongue at the German's reply."He won't shut up about you."
Germany froze.
His grip on the phone loosened before he realized it.
"..He keeps asking if you're coming."Romano continued,quieter now."Like-everyday."
Germany swallowed. His eyes drifted back to the paperwork, but the words on the pages blurred together.
"I'm busy." He said after a moment. The words sounded stiff.Hollow.
"Yeah,I know." Romano muttered."But if you don't come,he'll be annoying all week."
A brief silence followed.
"...He gets like that,"The Italian added after a pause."When he really wants someone there."
Germany said nothing.
"Just-think about it."Romano snapped,as if annoyed with himself."I'm hanging up."
He paused.
"...I'm surprised you didn't hang up first."Romano added. His voice dropped.
The line went dead.
And the room fell quiet again.
He was right.
Germany didn't know why his hand had hesitated. But the moment he heard Romano on the other end of the line, his expectations shattered.
Germany remained standing there, phone still in hand.
Slowly,he lowered it back onto the desk. The ringing in his ear did not fade away.
His eyes lingered on the paperwork in front of him. At the neatly stacked documents. At the schedules and deadlines that had always made sense to him.
For once, none of it mattered.
"Tsk..."He muttered quietly.
The country clenched his hand into a fist.
He looked at the clock.
Italy's birthday.
Germany exhaled, long and slow,as if bracing himself for something far more difficult than work.
TO BE CONTINUED