A/N: And so we're back with a new sequel to "Tomato the Boss and Chibi Spain" :D You guys can expect there to be lots of chaos. They'll even be a world meeting involved.

For those who are new here, I'd highly recommend reading the prequel to this. But, to give a short summary: Spain and Romano make a bet that Romano would be a better parent than Spain. A divine being intervenes and puts Romano to the test. Let the mayhem ensue.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy! Your continued support means everything to me!


After a long plane-ride home from Spain to Germany, I had been naively hoping to come back to a house full of quiet.

Although, knowing Gilbert, that dummkopf was definitely up to something. This must have been the third time that he had burned down the kitchen, just in this year alone. Contrary to his beliefs, my credit card in fact did have a limit. He just didn't seem to care, considering that our economy was already well-off to begin with.

As the head and shoulders of the EU, it seemed that I would never be able to catch a break.

First, Feliciano had guilt-tripped me into visiting Antonio and Lovino in Spain – damn those adorable puppy dog eyes of his. Unfortunately, I've always had trouble saying no to Feliciano, even if his reason for going to Spain was because of some dream-like vision that he had experienced the night prior. Believe me when I say that this isn't even the most bizarre part of my day.

Second, I had bore witness to Spain being reverted into a child. Whether it was because of a magical accident, or a spell/ curse, I wouldn't know because Lovino suspiciously refused to give us any real answers. Regardless, it's not like I wanted to know the finer details of that catastrophe anyway. Even though some of my fellow nations had magical abilities, I preferred to turn my head the other way and feign ignorance. Magic wasn't accepted nowadays, and I wanted to maintain my reputation as a sturdy and sensible nation.

Third, Feliciano had left for Italy in preparation for our upcoming world meeting. Having that precious Italian by my side oddly calmed my nerves, and to not have him present made me miss his companionship dearly. He was like a reverse stress-ball; even though he clung to me and squeezed me with his affectionate hugs, his presence did well to ward off my stress. I, ahem, truly did love and miss him, no matter how short the time of our separation would be…

Sigh.

Now I would have to handle Gilbert's lunacy on my own when I got home, not to mention the growing stack of paper work that would be impatiently waiting for me on my desk. Since I was the only personification diligent enough to be on top of their nation's affairs, the role of heading world meetings had naturally been bestowed upon me. I appreciated my role in retrospect, knowing that the world would have fallen apart without my superior organizational skills, but despised it when it came to muddling through pressing deadlines and losing copious amounts of sleep to meet them.

I felt the vein in my forehead twitch as I walked up the driveway of our home, my right-hand gripping the handle of my briefcase painfully tight. I inevitably knew that it was going to be a long night as I spotted the mess of party streamers, toilet paper, and water-filled condoms that were haphazardly strung across the rooftop. Thankfully, the house was in a secluded area covered by many trees. It would have become a national embarrassment if the press had been here to document this man-child war zone.

I jabbed my key into the front lock, biting the inside of my cheek as I swung open the door. I stepped inside, hurriedly shrugged off my loafers, and shut the door.

SPLAT!

I ducked, avoiding the obvious. Ever since Kiku had taught Gilbert how to be a ninja, my own reflexes were also always being put to the test. This time I had been tasked with avoiding a water-filled condom. Knowing Gilbert, he had plenty more of this inappropriate artillery stowed away somewhere.

"KESESESE! Those were some mighty quick reflexes there, West!" Gilbert cackled from the living room. The sound of machine guns and swear words of other online players indicated that he was playing on his Xbox, again.

I wiped off the condom water that had splattered against my forehead in an irritated motion.

"Gilbert," I ground my teeth, stepping around the empty Cheetos bags and beer cans that littered the front hallway. "What the hell happened in here?"

I took off my coat, and let my briefcase slam against the now sticky wooden floor.

Gilbert was hardly fazed by my question. He knew that I was angry, but was too busy shooting zombies on the flat-screen TV -that I paid for- in the living room to care. His back was turned to me; he was sitting on the couch with a ceramic bowl full of microwaved taquitos in his lap.

"Why, isn't it obvious?" he smirked, although this went unseen by me. "I threw a kick ass party earlier, and now I'm just chilling."

I nearly blacked out when I stepped into the living room. Gilbert had set up a beer keg on the wooden coffee table and was wearing a guzzler-hat to drink from it with. But that wasn't what I was looking at.

What I was looking at was the pen of baby chicks laying off to the side of the living room. Rather than a cage, they were fenced in with a wall of Lego. The constant popping sound indicated that they were lying in a bed made of bubble wrap. Gilbird's own canary was perched on top of the make-shift Lego wall, standing guard of the shrieking chicks below.

"Where the hell did these chicks come from?!" I roared.

Gilbert still refused to tear his gaze away from the TV. "Oh, those? I found them outside. It was Matthias's idea to use the Lego to build them a home. Don't worry though. I called a nearby veterinarian hospital. They'll be here in the morning to pick them up."

He spoke so casually.

I saw red.

Gilbert's ADHD attention span was quick to move on to other things.

"BOOM MOTHERFUCKERS!" Gilbert guffawed, wildly pressing the buttons of the game controller clutched in his hands. Several zombies exploded on the screen. "NOW THAT'S HOW IT'S DONE!"

"Stop gloating, asshole," an unseen player's voice whined through the console's speaker.

"SUCK IT, TIMMY!" Gilbert snorted. "YOU'RE JUST JEALOUS OF MEIN AWESOMENESS!"

"At least my mom's not a pussy," Timmy, who was most likely a twelve-year-old minor, snapped.

"Who cares about my mom if I banged yours!" Gilbert snickered, using his laptop to hack his way into Timmy's personal Facebook page. I knew this because the dummkopf had created a split screen on the TV.

"What was her name again? Monika? Ah, ja…she had a nice arse, kinda on the burly side, but great in bed," Gilbert mused.

"D-dude! What the fuck?!"

A switch flipped in my brain, prompting me to leave before I strangled a certain someone. All I had wanted was to come home, finish some paper work, drink a few beers, and get a good night's rest. Was that too hard to ask for?

Clearly, it was.

Now I was tasked with assessing the property damage that my childish older bruder had caused. As expected, a homeware catalog was laying on top of the new, recently installed marble island-top in the kitchen. Gilbert already knew which type of counters and cabinets to order, as he was long used to replacing them when I was gone. He probably wouldn't need to replace them so often if he didn't have my finances to rely on. He was reckless because he knew that he could get away with it.

I wasn't surprised to find that the sink was filled to the top with dirty dishes. I slicked a finger across the kitchen counter and was disgusted when it came back sticky and covered in pink sparkles. Nor was I surprised when I entered the utility room, only to find that the laundry hadn't been done for weeks.

I had seen enough.

I stormed back into the kitchen, opened the cabinet underneath the sink, and pulled out an army of cleaning materials. I slipped on a pair of yellow rubber gloves, grabbed my bucket of cleaning supplies, and grimaced in determination.

This means war, I thought as I marched towards my main filthy target of elimination.

I slammed the cleaning bucket on the living room carpet, which caused Gilbert to merely glance in my direction. I received his full attention when I began to tear down the walls of his precious Lego pen.

Gilbird screeched in alarm.

"Yo! What are you doing?! Leave mein babies alone!" Gilbert shouted, scrambling to pause his game and take off his guzzler-hat. For the sake of my sanity and growing agitation, I avoided looking at his ridiculous Adventure-Time-styled pajamas.

I didn't bother to answer him.

I attempted to scoop up a chick with my hand, but swore under my breath when it bit my finger.

"Oi! Pick on someone your own size!" Gilbert growled, stepping in front of the pen with his arms held out protectively.

I stood up, sternly reciprocating Gilbert's glare. "Fine," I muttered dryly, my shoulders tense.

"Geez! What's gotten into you lately?"

The relief in Gilbert's crimson eyes was short-lived.

I marched over to the flat-screen TV, reached behind the outlet, and pulled out every chord in sight.

It was now Gilbert's turn to screech.

"WEST! WHAT THE FUCK?! OH, MY GOD! NEIN! NEIN! NEIN! IT TOOK ME DAYS TO GET THIS FAR!" Gilbert wailed, collapsing to the ground on his knees.

I didn't feel sorry for him at all.

"That's too bad," I huffed, crossing my arms. "Perhaps if you learned how to take care of a house properly, this wouldn't have happened."

"You're a cold son of a butthole, Ludwig," Gilbert whined, clawing at his hair. "Is this how you treat your older brother? Would it kill ya to have some fun every now and then?"

"My house, my rules," I retorted. "Now get up, we have a lot of cleaning to do. I hardly see how frolicking in filth is anyone's definition of fun."

"No," Gilbert sniffed, sticking up his nose at me. "I went through the trouble of raising you. You can clean this up yourself."

I raised a brow at him. "Excuse me?" I hissed.

"Don't pretend you didn't hear me, you muscular oaf!" Gilbert snapped. "I'm not doing shit until you apologize for being rude!"

"Oh, so now I'm being rude?" I bellowed. "Just look at yourself, Gilbert! You're a living mess. You're the most lazy, useless, and unproductive person that I know! You may have raised me, but now it feels like I'm the one raising you! You've let yourself go ever since you've been abolished, and I'm sick of it!"

Gilbert inhaled sharply, hurt written on his face. "Too far, West. Too far."

My eyes widened. "Gilbert…I…"

"Save it!" Gilbert growled, standing up from the ground. "I think you've said enough! And I'd love to see you try to be a parent. Heck, why don't you adopt a kid with Feli or something?! You wouldn't even last a day."

What I said next was unusually petty of myself. "At least I'd be a better parent than you were!"

"Ha!" Gilbert barked bitterly. "As if!"

BOOM!

The lights in the house flickered as a clap of thunder raged on outside.

Gilbert faltered for a moment before abruptly turning on his heels and heading towards the front door.

"And just where do you think you're going?" I sighed.

"Anywhere but here! Roddy's probably still up by now. If not, who gives a fuck?!"

"Gilbert wait-!"

SLAM!

Gilbert slammed the front door, the sound of his boots stomping against the gravel outside. Only he would leave the house at one in the morning still wearing his pajamas.

I facepalmed. Typical Gilbert: running away from his problems and mooching off other people's hospitality. Whatever, I'd deal with him in the morning. I still had an entire house to clean up -thanks to him- and a sizeable stack of paperwork to read through.

It took me close to four hours to set the house back into order. I was so tired by the end of it, that I didn't even bother to leave my office.

I had fallen asleep at my desk before I knew it.

Wake up, burly potato, a voice with a Texan accent spoke in my unconscious mind.

The time has finally come for you to put your parenting skills to the test.

As always, my biological clock roused me into consciousness the moment that the sun rose in the sky. I had only received one hour of sleep, and hadn't received any the night prior. I could already tell that today was going to be rough, seeing as I hadn't even made a dent in my paperwork last night. Not to mention the property damage that I would have to write off for my upcoming tax release. And then there was the world meeting to prepare for tomorrow… Ja, there was still much to do.

I sat up in my seat, straightening my back and spine. I had fallen asleep in an uncomfortable position over my desk last night, which would make working today an even greater pain. I winced at the bright sunlight protruding through my curtains. It was almost as if the sun were telling me to get a move on already.

DING DONG!

I blinked in confusion. A visitor this early? It was only 6 AM. Surely, my lack of sleep was playing tricks on my ears?

DING DONG!

Nein, that was in fact the sound of my doorbell. I sighed, standing up from my desk. I was nowhere near dressed enough to be suitable for proper company. I was still wearing my suit from yesterday, and my hair was a greasy mess.

"I'm coming. Just one moment!" I called out from my office, sighing in annoyance. This early morning visitor sure was impatient.

I opened my office door and padded out into the hallway, briefly inspecting my appearance in a mirror that was hung up along the wall. I smoothed back the bangs from my face, sourly grimacing at my pale complexion and the dark bags under my eyes.

I couldn't help but wonder if it was Gilbert on the other side of the door. Although, it usually took him several days before he came crawling back to me. In all fairness, this time I would also have to give him an apology. I had let my anger get the better of me last night, and had said some very cruel things because of it.

In de facto, Gilbert represented East Germany, but since there was no formal agreement that authorized that, I handled our nation's administrative work. It wasn't fair of me to say that he was useless or unproductive. If he applied himself, Gilbert was the exact opposite. Besides, Gilbert's abolishment was a touchy subject; demeaning a personification's sovereignty was a great offense. I shouldn't have mentioned it at all, no matter how angry or frustrated I had been.

"Ja, how can I help you…?" I pulled open my front door, the rough draft of my apology already resting on the tip of my tongue. I looked straight ahead, confused when I didn't see anyone there.

It was only when I looked down that I spotted my early morning visitor. A small boy with a rat's nest of white hair and sharp crimson eyes stood below me. He was wearing a red t-shirt and a diaper to cover his bottom half, revealing chubby, unnaturally pale legs. He must have been an albino…

I jumped back when the little boy pointed a stubby finger at my face.

The little boy's cheeks spread into a familiar toothy smile. "Hallo, strange man behemoth! You are now my slave, for the awesome me has just conquered you home!"

SLAM!

I shut the door, and pressed my back against it for good measure. My heart raced. What in Gott's name was that? I closed my eyes. I must still be hallucinating.

That little boy…he looked a lot like Gilbert. Perhaps this was a prank then? His way of getting back at me for our fight last night? I wouldn't put it past Gilbert to do something like that. Ja, that had to be it.

The little boy pounded his fists against the door. "Ah, hallo?! Aren't you going to let the awesome me in?!"

I let a faint smirk creep onto my face.

I was not going to be made a fool out of.

I spun around and opened the door, only to gasp and splutter when the little boy forced himself into the house. I had never been good with children. I had no idea what to say, let alone what to do with them.

I could only watch in annoyance as he clasped his hands behind his back and began to pace back and forth like a miniature military general. As he did so, he looked up at me, as if to inspect my appearance.

"Hmmm," the little boy mused, his voice convincingly scratchy. "Nice build…Very strong…Yes….Yes…A very worthy sidekick to conquer the world with indeed."

The little boy began to giggle maniacally; yet another convincing "kesesese" laugh.

I crossed my arms and glared down at the little boy. "What's your name? Are you lost? And haven't your parents taught you any manners?" I questioned, purposefully trying to overwhelm him and see if he would crack under the pressure.

The little boy huffed indignantly, placing both hands on his hips. "Why, I am the awesome Prussia, obviously!" he snorted. "An awesome leader like me doesn't need any parents to teach me 'manners', whatever the crap those are! Also, how can I be lost if I just conquered your home?"

How could a kid that young use such foul language?

I deadpanned in realization. Gilbert must have already corrupted his innocence.

I pinched my wrist. Nein, still real, unfortunately.

"Enough already," I sighed. "I know that this is a prank. You can tell Gilbert to come out now. I won't tell your parents about this, but only if you choose to be honest with me."

"Gilbert?!" the boy spluttered. "Who is this 'Gilbert' you speak of? I am Prussia! All your attention should be on me and me alone! This is not a prank, you insolent fiend!"

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "You're not Prussia. Quit trying to fool me, boy."

The little boy's eyes began to water. "But I am Prussia!" he protested. "I am also awesome!" he added in as an afterthought, no doubt intending to boost his now wavering confidence.

"If you're so awesome, then how come I had to open the door for you?" I questioned.

The little boy looked outside, where a tree branch lay on the front porch. Now I knew what he had used to ring the doorbell with. In height, he barely came up to my knee.

The little boy sniffled. "B-because you're my slave, duh!"

I opened my mouth in retort, but for some inexplicable reason, time froze.

A strange voice spoke in my head.

"Dearest burly Potato, I heed you to listen to me. I have come to deliver a divine prophecy from God for ya. Due to you running your mouth last night, it has been decided that you will be given a chance to stop being a prideful butthole and put your arrogance behind thee. In other words, your elder brother will remain as a child for a period of 24 hours. It is up to you to nurture and care for him as any other parent would."

Whatever 'being' that spoke had a very prominent Texan accent.

"What the hell is this?" I demanded.

My voice echoed.

"I already told, ya! Last night you claimed that you would be a better parent than your brother was. Now you've been blessed with a chance to prove that!"

My head felt like it was going to explode.

I couldn't deny what was happening. This felt too real for me to dismiss it as anything else. Whether I liked it or not, I was having an out-of-this-world experience. Perhaps if I used a cool head, I could negotiate myself out of this mess.

"Listen here, whatever you are," I snapped, using the same cut-throat tone that I employed when I participated in anything related to business or trade. "We were both angry last night. You can't possibly take anything that we said seriously!"

The Texan being in my head laughed. "It's too late, son. What's done is done. Now I suggest that you get a move on. You have a full day to prove your capability as a parent."

"And what if I fail to do so?" I inquired.

"Then the spell will remain until you succeed. And you will succeed, won't ya?"

"Yes, sir," I grit my teeth.

"That's exactly what I wanted to hear! Toodaloo and good luck~!"

The Texan being's voice began to fade away.

"Wait!" I called out, but time had already resumed.

I looked down to see the little boy - correction my chibified older brother- rubbing his eyes.

"Um, Prussia?" I hesitated with a croak.

Baby Prussia puffed out his cheeks, a sour expression on his face. "Oh, so now you believe me!" he scoffed through pursed lips. To make matters worse, he turned his back on me and crossed his arms.

I closed the front door, finally coming to terms with this bizarre magical catastrophe.

I then bent over and crouched down to meet him at eye level. "Hey," I swallowed nervously. "Are you…okay?"

Baby Prussia's shoulders stiffened. He mumbled something incoherent.

"Pardon me?" I asked, making sure that my voice was extra gentle. "I didn't quite catch that."

Baby Prussia turned around. "Come closer, it's a secret," he mumbled, suddenly looking docile.

Confused, I did as he asked.

That was my first mistake.

My vision blacked out briefly when he slapped me across the face. It wasn't a weak slap either.

"I WANT FOOD!" Baby Prussia shrieked.

I grabbed my assaulted cheek with one hand and snarled. "Well you won't be getting any until you learn to ask politely!" I roared.

"If my slave won't make me food, then I'll have no other choice but to scream until you do!"

"You wouldn't dare…" I growled, only to receive an evil smirk in return.

Baby Prussia opened his mouth, which was unprecedentedly huge, and began to shriek at the top of his high-pitched lungs. "HALP! HALP! I'M BEING STRANGLED BY THIS OAF'S DOUCHEY PRESENCE. CALL ZE POLICE!"

I frantically waved my hands to get him to quiet down. "ENOUGH!" I bellowed. "FINE! I'LL MAKE YOU SOME FOOD. JUST QUIT SCREAMING ALREADY!"

Baby Prussia grinned cheekily. "Says you."

I glared at Baby Prussia before standing up, plucking him into my arms, and effortlessly tucking him under my armpit.

"Oi!" Baby Prussia protested, squirming to free himself from my grip. "Did I order you to carry me in such an undignified way?!"

It was beyond me why he had such an extraordinary vocabulary. I was done questioning things at this point.

"Nein, but you did order me to make you food," I countered.

"Oh…" Baby Prussia faltered. "I suppose that I'll be gracious enough to let this minor infraction slide…"

I stiffened when Baby Prussia slapped my butt.

"Onwards, my slave and shining oaf! You have food to make! Nice arse, by the way. Kesesesese!"

For a moment, I considered slipping a sedative into his food. Unfortunately, the Hippocratic oath that I had taken prevented me from doing that, no matter how tempting it was.

I was now cooking for said Baby Demon. One of my next-door neighbors had lent me a high chair, despite probably thinking that I had lost my mind. With all the screaming that had gone on in the last hour or so, they had every right to think that.

It appeared that what had happened to Lovino and Antonio was happening with myself and Gilbert. I tried calling the former, but knowing him, he wouldn't bother to pick up his phone. He had always despised me, and today certainly wasn't an exception to that rule. Besides, he must still be busy with Baby Spain. Argh! What even was my life anymore?!

I also tried calling Feliciano, but he wasn't answering either. It would be a long time before he finally woke up for the day. For now, I was on my own.

Thus far, I had Baby Prussia snacking on a few slices of liverwurst. This must have been his third plate. While I fried sausages in a skillet, I could hear him snickering and making rude comments about my pink cooking apron. He could laugh all he wanted; this apron was a gift from Feliciano and was very dear to me.

As I set aside a plate of cheese and pretzel rolls, I couldn't help but feel anxious. Later today the other nations would be arriving for tomorrow's world meeting. And as the hosting nation, my presence was also required at the hotel they would all be staying at. I couldn't just leave Baby Prussia behind, could I?

I grit my teeth together. I needed to compose myself and complete one task at a time. Besides, I couldn't show Baby Prussia any weakness otherwise he could gain the upper hand in this bizarre arrangement of ours.

I continued to cook with my back turned to Baby Prussia. I was beginning to get irritated as he swung his legs back and forth in his high chair, making an obnoxious creaking sound.

"Could you stop that?" I grumbled. "You're giving me a headache."

"Nein! This is your punishment for taking so long!"

I ignored Baby Prussia and began to work on setting several jars of jam on the kitchen island.

When I went back to flipping the sausages, only then did Baby Prussia decide to strike.

THUD!

My head fell forward.

A potato fell at my feet, before rolling off somewhere underneath the fridge.

Mortified, I put two and two together. Baby Prussia must have thrown a potato at the back of my head. Why that little-!

I spun around. Baby Prussia whistled, suspiciously hugging his stomach. "Where did you get that?!" I spat.

"Get What?" Baby Prussia asked, batting his lashes.

"T-that potato!" I spluttered, pointing underneath the fridge.

"What Potato?" Baby Prussia grinned.

"Oh, whatever!" I growled. "Lie to me, see if I care. You're only stalling me from making your food."

Baby Prussia gasped in horror, while I turned around, a smug smirk plastering my face. A mere thirty seconds had passed before he began complaining again. I was having absolutely none of his spoiled and entitled behaviour.

"How much longer?" Baby Prussia whined.

No response.

"Hey! Don't ignore me!"

No response.

THUD!

"That's it!" I stormed towards Baby Prussia's high chair.

Baby Prussia's eyes widened as I forcefully lifted his shirt, revealing three more stowed away potatoes; they rolled off the high chair and fell to the ground.

I followed Baby Prussia's gaze to the pantry door that had been left open. "Aha!" I cried out. "So that's where you got them from!"

"I demand that you go back to cooking or I'll start screaming again!" Baby Prussia huffed, blushing uncontrollably. He refused to look me in the eye. His plan was foiled and now he couldn't face me.

I didn't take his threat for face value. It was now my turn to latch onto his weakness. I bent forward, bringing my face close to his. "Not so brave now, are you?" I mused.

Because we were related, I decided to get back at him for the many decades of torture that he had caused me.

I poked Baby Prussia in the cheek, satisfied at how squishy it was.

"Don't touch me!" Baby Prussia squeaked, helpless to my looming figure.

I poked his other cheek. "Oops, looks like my hand slipped."

So very squishy and soft

I moved my finger again, preying off his vulnerability. He was presently strapped to his booster-seat.

CHOMP!

I pulled back my hand. "DID YOU JUST BITE ME?!"

"That's what you get for taking so long to cook," Baby Prussia snarled. "By the way, you taste and look like a bottom-class arsehole."

"YOU LITTLE BRAT!" I thundered.

I stormed over to the oven and grabbed a dishcloth to cover my bleeding finger with.

"Hey, Mr. Slave Oaf," Baby Prussia called out. "Are you okay? Did I… hurt you?"

"OF COURSE YOU DID, YOU DUMMPKOPH!" I snapped, only to falter when tears welled in Baby Prussia's eyes.

"I-I'm s-s-sorry!" Baby Prussia stammered. "As your King, I should treat all my peasants right, including you…"

Typical Gilbert: apologizing while simultaneously playing the victim card.

I furrowed my brows and turned around. "Don't tell me you're…crying?"

"N-no!" Baby Prussia blubbered. "I'm awesome and big boys don't cry!"

I cleared my throat awkwardly. Oh Gott! What am I supposed to do?! He's crying because of something that I said! It was completely unlike me to have my temper flare up like this. I needed to calm down and take control of this situation.

But how?

Do what you do best, a voice in my head answered. Be a leader and role model to others.

That voice was right.

I looked at Baby Prussia, my voice taking on a chiding tone. "You're lying."

"Excuse you, Mr. Slave-Brick-Oaf. I'll have you know -hiccup- that I'm more awesome than you'll ever be."

"Nein, I'm not talking about that," I scolded.

Baby Prussia hiccuped again.

I walked towards Baby Prussia and placed a hand over the back of his head. "You're wrong. Boys can cry. In fact, only the strongest and most awesome of boys are the ones brave enough to show their true emotions."

Baby Prussia looked up at me and sniffled. "Really?"

"Ja, really," I smiled, albeit faintly.

I felt plenty of my own emotions stirring uncomfortably in my stomach. Everyone knew me as the level-headed and stoic nation. Even if I wanted to be affectionate or show my softer side to others, I couldn't. I had a reputation to uphold. I was the steely foundation of the EU, and couldn't be anything other than that.

"Here," I grabbed a kleenex and began to wipe at his eyes. "Now we have evidence of how strong you are."

Baby Prussia smiled and held out his arms. "What's your name, peasant? You're beginning to grow on me."

I rolled my eyes. "Ludwig."

"Well, Ludpig, I shall now bestow upon you a hug fit for a God."

I gave Baby Prussia a questioning look.

"That means you can hug me, you dumb oaf."

"Oh," I mumbled.

I awkwardly wrapped my arms around Baby Prussia's fragile shoulders, patting his back with one hand.

"Hey Ludpig?" Baby Prussia whispered in my ear.

"Ja?"

"What are you waiting for? Get back to cooking or prepare to hear mein wrath."

I sighed.

Typical Gilbert.

To be continued…