The following story contains Russia x Prussia, hints at homosexual relations, and references to the fall or the Berlin wall.

-x-x-

The harsh light of an electric bulb flickered on in the small, sparsely decorated room, and a door clicked shut behind a pair of pale men. One, shorter, paler, kept walking, across to the bed with the thin mattress whereas the other stayed close to the door, staring at the back of the other.

Gilbert undid the buttons to his white - or once-white - button-up shirt and slid it off his shoulders, his pants soon finding their place on the floor with. Ivan's breath caught briefly, eyes tracing the scars and purple-black bruise marks that laced the Prussian's back, knowing exactly what had happened for the once-beautiful flesh to become a minefield, as he was the one to make them. His face contorted in pain for a moment, wishing with all his might, with the little heart he had left, that he hadn't done this - hadn't completely ruined the image the man across from him once was - before he took a breath and steeled himself, striding over to wrap his arms around the lithe man, and pressed his lips to his ear.

He thanked whatever God that still looked after him that Gilbert didn't say anything about how his voice shook when he apologized, or the single tear that landed on his shoulder.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

Gilbert turned, just enough to look at Ivan over his shoulder, and nodded. "Yes. I told you, nothing would keep my people from returning to their homeland,"

"But what of you?" Russia asked, taking a step closer and resting his hand on his charge's shoulder, "What will happen to you?"

Prussia - no, East Germany - tensed slightly under Ivan's hand and sighed softly. "I don't know, and honestly, as long as I see West again and my people are happy, I don't give a shit," Ivan could not deny the pang in his chest at the words and he winced to show it.

"Stay with me," he begged, "I promise, I will give you land, people, an army, freedom, if you would but stay with me,"

This earned a snort, and he supposed he deserved it. "You said that last time, Braginski. You said all of that, and yeah, I got most of it...but I can't live with you," Gilbert gave him a pointed look, shrugging his hand off.

Ivan wouldn't have it. "Your capital, Koenigsberg. I will give it to you. Your own house, even. I don't want you to disappear, Gilbert!" His voice cracked and to Gilbert, the hulking Russian looked very young and vulnerable, like a kid who's parent was leaving them at the sitter's. It made him falter.

"Look, let me...Let me see West again. Let me get everything fixed. Then," he paused for a moment, his brow furrowing the slightest bit, "Then we'll see, okay? I just need some time,"

What if you don't have time, the Russian wanted to ask, but he didn't. Instead, he merely nodded and picked up Gilbert's bags, placing them in the trunk of the car that would take him away. "Your people can vote now," he said softly, not looking at him, "You can decide what you want to do. The Wall has fallen; leave as you want," He turned back to him to find Gilbert worrying his bottom lip, not meeting his eyes. He tilted his chin up and brushed silver-blonde locks out of his eyes before he pressed a soft kiss to his forehead. "Good luck,"

Gilbert, for once, didn't make a sarcastic comment about his sappiness - a lot sure had changed in forty years - and managed a small, strained smile. "I'll need it," And with that, he slipped into the car and shut the door, leaving Ivan to watch as the vehicle drove away into Gilbert's proverbial sunset, left to wonder when he'd get his chance at freedom.

-x-x-

Historical info:

(Berlin) Wall: The wall dividing East and West Berlin from 1953 to 1989. Germany was under Soviet occupation from the end of the war to late 1990 in the East, and the West divided amongst the other allies for basically the same duration. Wikipedia it if you don't know.

"...people are free to vote" AKA East Germany's first free elections were held in May of 1990, and the election led to the two halves of Germany agreeing on the Unity Treaty.

Since the other day was German Unity day (October third, actually) and the day celebrating when Germany was officially reunited, I thought I'd do a little ficlet. c: Usually it's in Germany and Prussia/GDR/East Germany's point of view, but I thought I'd look at how Russia saw it. That, and I got listening to a song that stuck a cord.

WHATEVER. I hope you enjoyed~