A/N: This pairing makes me squeeee. So here, have a vaguely angsty/fluffy at end to make up for it thing about the fall of the Berlin Wall. Sorry for the shit loads of German, translations at the bottom but I don't speak it fluently, so apologies if I make any grammatical errors. Prompt 48: Diamond.

Dedicated to the truly awesome Amelia who roleplays the Gilbert to my Roderich.

Diamant

People say that if you are freed from a prison, it is the start of your new life. And, as he steps out from the ruins of that verdammt wall, he feels he can understand that saying. Crowds, crowds, crowds. There are people everywhere but his piercing crimson eyes only want to see two out of this throng. There they are. Stood, shoulder to shoulder and suddenly, Gilbert is running and he is crying but they are running and they are crying too. They meet in the middle in a crunch of hugging and clinging and sobbing, whispered words in German.

"Gott, Gilbert, you're so skinny!" are the first words out of his younger brother's mouth and Ludwig's hands are on his shoulders, pulling the ex-nation close to him. But the albino just gives a broken laugh, clinging to the German as people mill around them, cheering as the wall falls.

"Mein Gott, Ludwig, I missed you so much." And then, there are another pair of hands on his shoulders and an unmistakable laugh, but one he has not heard in so many years. The Prussian releases the German and they both turn to stare at the Austrian who is laughing softly, his violet eyes glittering.

"Nicht einmal…" murmurs Ludwig and almost instinctively, Gilbert places his thin, pale hand on Roderich's cheek.

"Nicht einmal," echoes the Prussian. "Not since 1910 have you laughed." Glasses-covered violet meet red and nothing is said for a few long moments.

"I had yet to find a reason to. But, now, Ich glaube ich habe," responds the Austrian before he is pulled into the albino's tight embrace as the wall collapses completely behind them. They stand like that for a few long moments, Gilbert just hanging on to the violet-eyed nation. It has been so many years since he has seen his little brother, since he has seen the entrancing eyes of Roderich Edelstein and he cannot believe how much he has missed the two of them. Not that he is usually up for admitting that sort of thing but he has been imprisoned and cut off for thirty years.

"Come along, Gilbert, let's get you home," Roderich says and there is so much gentle concern in the pianist's voice that the Prussian nods and smiles honestly as they start to walk. Should any of the crowd turned around at that point, they would have seen a skinny, weak albino with his arms around the waists of a tall, grinning German, who has his arm over the Prussian's shoulders, and an aristocratic nation who's slender arm rests around the albino's waist.

Gilbert lies awake that night, in the guest room at Ludwig's house and he shivers under the blankets. The realisation that he is free is setting in slowly, yet at the same time, he mourns. Homeless, scared and weak, he is a far cry from the man he once was. Part of him fears that is has been too long, that his relationship with his younger brother is gone but worse, that Roderich no longer loves him. Stroking the scars on his chest, he lets out a soft whimper at the thought of losing the Austrian and the door creaks open. Even by the silhouette, he knows it's the man of his thoughts and before the albino can speak, the violet-eyed nation has slipped inside, closed the door behind him and sat down beside him.

"I couldn't sleep," murmurs Roderich as Gilbert sits up next to him.

"Me neither. Hey, Roddy?" It doesn't go unnoticed by the Prussian that the pianist doesn't complain at the use of the nickname for once.

"Ja, Gilbert?" The Austrian's voice is quiet, full of gentle concern which Gilbert never thought he would receive from the other.

"D-do… you do still love me, ja?" Roderich freezes at the stutter and turns to Gilbert, cupping his cheeks.

"Gilbert… Of course I still love you. I vill always love you. Vhat happened…. It could never change zhat, you understand?" Blinking at him, the albino notices that the usually aristocratic nation, who speaks with no accent, has a deep, thick German accent. Of course, it has always been there, but the Austrian usually hides it. The accent comforts him a little and he curls into the pianist as he whispers,

"You promise?"

"I promise. I vaited for you, Gilbert. Jeden Jahre, habe ich vor die Mauer gestanden. Jeden Jahre, habe ich dafür fallen gewartet. Jeden Jahre, habe ich für dich gewartet." Unbidden, tears slide from Gilbert's eyes at the confessions in German and he clings to the Austrian, babbling weakly,

"Ja, ja. Jeden Jahre, habe ich für dich auch gewartet. Jeden verdammt Jahre. Ich liebe dich, Roderich. Ich werde dich liebe bis ich sterbe." A feather-light kiss is pressed to the ex-nation's forehead and a soft voice responds,

"Ich liebe dich auch, Gilbert. Und, ja, ich werde dich liebe bis sterbe."

"Even nov?" whispers the Prussian, returning to his accented English as he grips the violet-eyed nation's shirt. "Even nov I am broken?"

"You're not broken!" The Austrian's reply is so fiery, so full of determination that the other starts a little. "You're not."

"Maybe not quite broken yet, Specs."

"You're not going to be, you understand me? I'm going to fix you up und I'm going to start here." The pianist stands, turns the light on and then returns to Gilbert. He kneels before the dazed albino, slowly removing a navy velvet ring box from his pocket.

"Gilbert Beilschidmt, I've loved you for a hell of a long time. Und ve bickered und fought, uselessly. Until I blurted it out und you just grinned und repeated it back at me. But I knov you meant it. Und from zhen, I needed you, I had you und I adored you. Zhen zhere vas the dissolution… vhen you lay comatose for days und I cried… but you came back to me, Gilbert. You fought your vay back und zhen zhey took you avay again. I can't have it. You are my diamond, ze unbreakable substance in my life. You are very precious to me, Gilbert. So I must ask you zhis, mein Diamant, vill you marry me?" The pianist opens the ring box and the Prussian's jaw drops as the diamond in the centre of the ring blinks back at him.

"Alvays ze poet, little master. But, seriously, ja. Vith all my heart, ja." And Gilbert leans down to cement the promise with a deep, lingering kiss to Roderich's lips which the Austrian reciprocates immediately.

A/N: Translations:

Diamant: Diamond.

Verdammt: damn, damned

Gott, Mein Gott: God, my God.

Nicht einmal: Not once.

Ich glaube ich habe : I think I have.

Ja : Yes

Jeden Jahre, habe ich vor die Mauer gestanden: Every year, I stood before the Wall.

Jeden Jahre, habe ich dafür fallen gewartet: Every year I waited for it to fall.

Jeden Jahre, habe ich für dich gewartet: Every year I waited for you.

Ich liebe dich: I love you.

Ich werde dich liebe bis ich sterbe: I will love you until I die.

Ich liebe dich auch: I love you as well

Und: And

Mein Diamant: My diamond