32Sorry for not updating sooner. I just...blargh. But, here's something to make up for my absence! Sorry again! :(
Italy had decided that part of being a good father meant taking care of the baby while her mother slept in. After all, poor Germany hadn't had a decent night of sleep in about seven months now. Well, at least she wasn't pregnant anymore and didn't have to worry about Lotte kicking up a storm.
"Buongiorno, my beautiful little ragazza!" Italy smiled, scooping his daughter up out of her cradle and nestling her close to his chest. Her eyes fluttered open and she gurgled up at him. "I bet you're hungry, aren't you little one?"
His answer was a sharp tug on his curl from his daughter. Italy blushed and unfurled his daughter's fingers, stammering slightly.
"N-no no, tesoro...that's...that's for mutti only..." he walked from the nursery down the hallway and stairs to the kitchen, where he found Prussia and Romano already awake and eating. By the looks of it, Romano had made scrambled eggs with salsa.
"Morning! Aw, wook at the wittle cutie!" Prussia cooed, swooping down on his niece and ruffling her hair, which was remarkably thick for a child of her age. "How's my favorite nichte doing?" Romano rolled his eyes.
"Idiot, she's your only niece."
"I know! That's what makes her my favorite!" Prussia laughed. "Here Feli, let me take her while you eat breakfast!"
"Oh, nī-chan, are you sure?" Italy asked nervously. He didn't want to trouble Prussia...
"Yeah! I love that little demon spawn! Lemme hold her!" a bit reluctantly, Italy handed his daughter over to Prussia, who cuddled her and rubbed his nose against hers.
"Speaking of demon spawn," Romano said, looking up from the newspaper, "where's the potato bitch?"
"Romano! Don't call her that!" Italy tsked. "I love her, and she loves me! And I don't want Lotte to hear you disrespecting her mutti like that!"
"She doesn't understand what I'm saying, she's two months old." Romano rolled his eyes and went back to his paper. Italy's frown deepened, but as he spooned some of the eggs off his plate into his mouth, he couldn't help but smile. Living with Spain might piss Romano off, but it sure did wonders for his cooking.
"Hey, Italy, when are you going to pop the question to my schwester?" Prussia asked, looking up from his niece, who currently had a handful of his hair (Lotte had an obsession with hair, it seemed).
"What?! You want me to marry her?!"
"Well yeah! You have a kid with her! Don't you think little Lotte is going to feel awkward growing up without married parents?" Italy hadn't thought about it that way before.
True, he secretly would have loved to married Germany, but he didn't know if she wanted to marry him. After all, she pretty much treated him like she thought he was disgusting. She often yelled at him, and although the two were close friends, they had no romantic interests in each other. The night that Lotte had been conceived had been a one-night-stand, nothing more. And there had been alcohol involved, so...
"I don't think she'd want to get married to me." Italy murmured, drowning his sudden sorrows in more eggs.
"I don't blame her!" Romano scoffed. "Who'd want to get married to you?"
"Ve! That's so mean, fratello!"
Suddenly, Lotte screeched and flapped her arms, her eyes wide. Prussia laughed and tweaked her nose.
"Looks like someone's hungry." he said, grinning. "Where is my lazy sister?"
"She's not lazy! She had to get up three times last night to take care of Lotte, and twice was for feeding! She's tired!"
"Lazy, tired—what's the difference?" Prussia shrugged, walking over to the fridge and pulling a bottle off the second shelf. "How long should I warm this up?"
"Umm...I think Germany said about three minutes..." Italy said, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "Yes, three minutes sounds right."
"You idiot! Do you know how hot that would make that stuff?! You'd melt her mouth off! It's just one minute!" Romano cried. Honestly, what would they do without me? He thought.
"One minute it is then, because I don't want my only niece's mouth to melt off." Prussia popped the bottle into the microwave and entered one minute. Lotte watched in fascination the entire time, her eyes following the bottle hungrily. As soon as the bottle was taken out of the microwave, she grabbed at it hungrily and screeched until Prussia popped it into her mouth. She sucked at it, downing half of the milk within two minutes.
"Ve! She was hungry, huh? Poor thing..." Italy murmured, reaching across the table to ruffle her hair. "Speaking of hungry, Romano, did you make any sausage?"
"Sausage?! I told you you've been hanging out with that potato bitch too much!" his older brother indignantly yelled. "Sausage...if only Grandpa could see what his grandson had become..."
Germany groaned and rolled over, squishing her face into her pillow as she tried to block out the sunlight that streamed through the slots in the blinds. Even though she knew that she had overslept, somehow she felt as though she had woken up early.
Rubbing her eyes and sitting up slightly, she caught sight of the framed photographs on her bedside table; the print of Lotte's ultrasound, one of Italy with his hands on her nine-month belly and a faint smile playing across her lips, a picture of her in the hospital holding Lotte in her arms and glaring up at the camera (she had told Italy that she didn't want her picture taken while she looked so shitty), and a picture of the Allies standing next to her hospital bed. The cards from the other countries surrounded the photos. She smiled fondly at the memory and closed her eyes as she pictured the scene.
"Well Ms. Beilschmidt, you seem to be in a stable condition. It's lucky that your daughter was in the proper position, or her birth would have been much more complicated." Germany's midwife, ironically, a young man, smiled down at her.
"Ve! What a relief!" Italy murmured sleepily, snuggling his chin on her arm and smiling lethargically up at her.
"And what about my child? Is she alright?" Germany couldn't relax without knowing whether or not her baby had been born correctly and healthy.
"She's happy and healthy, ma'am." the midwife said. "In fact, we're just finishing up some routine procedures and then we can bring her to you. In the meantime, you can sleep for a few hours. Just press this button if you start to feel lightheaded or if you feel nauseous."
"Thank you." Germany sighed and laid back on her pillows, snuggled down under the covers, and then cracked one open to see Italy staring intently and concernedly up at her. "Yes, Italia?"
"Well...I'm...I'm just worried about you." he said, softly and almost inaudibly. "You just had a baby and—"
"Italy, let me tell you something." Germany said, looking him hard in the eyes. "If you and Prussia and Romano keep treating me like I'm made of glass or like I could die at any second, I swear to God I'll kill all of you." Italy's smile grew and his eyes sparkled.
"I knew you were okay." he whispered, trying desperately to stay awake. "I...Ti amo, Doitsu..." he mumbled, before his breathing steadied and he fell silent. Germany grinned dotingly down at the little red-head and ran her fingers through his hair, stroking the soft waves that his hair fell in.
She must have drifted off to sleep (but only briefly), because the next thing she knew, there were voices from outside in the hallway, and someone was knocking on her door. She grumbled and rubbed her eyes a few times before calling to her visitors, "Come in."
The door swung open to reveal five people that Germany would really have preferred not to see. Those five people being, of course, Russia, America, Britain, France, and China. The Allies had come to bug her and interrupt her well-deserved rest.
"Oh great, it's you guys." she muttered, rolling her eyes. Britain tried to smile, placing a bundle of flowers on the table next to her hospital cot.
"Erm...yes, it's "us guys". We...we came to...congratulate you. And to—"
"Germany, dude!" America yelled, throwing his arms around her neck and pulling her into a tight hug. She startled and blushed slightly as he nuzzled her and laughed. "Congrats on your kid! I bet she's so cute, lemme see her! Lemme see her!"
"America, you git! You're squishing her!" Britain cried, rushing over and prying the energetic nation off of the poor woman, who gasped for air. Usually, she would have just pinched the nerve cluster at the base of his neck and sent him sprawling to the ground, but she was way too exhausted to even attempt it.
"Thank you..." she panted, hiking up her hospital gown. Coincidentally or not, America had pulled down her dress as he embraced her. France flashed her his classic "sexy eyes" and smiled charmingly.
"Congratulations, Germany. I'm sure you and Ita-chan will be the best of parents."
"Tha-"
"She will become one with Mother Russia, da?" Russia smiled and stared intently at Germany. "She would make a nice colony."
"No! No, she's German and Italian territory! Our bosses only allowed us to keep her if that was the case." Russia's smiled died down a little, but didn't disappear completely.
China didn't say anything. But really, he never knew quite what to say when he was around Germany. Honestly, she sort of scared him. She was a lot manlier than most men he knew!
"So," England said, casting his gaze around the room. "Where is the newest little country?"
"I don't know, exactly. My midwife said he was just finishing up a few tests on her."
America leaned forward eagerly and probed her eyes.
"So? How was it?"
"How was what?" she raised an eyebrow, a bit wary of the answer. Alfred rolled his eyes as if she had just said "two plus two is five".
"Duh! Squeezing the kid out! I've always heard that it hurts, but I've never actually met anyone who had a kid, so I've been curious forever! Did you use drugs? Did you have a c-section? Did you get to hold her first?"
"Uh..." she was a bit overwhelmed by so many questions. And, oh god, she was so sore and tired and achy... "Well, to be completely honest...it was the worst fucking experience of my life. It hurt so bad I thought I was going to die, or at least pass out."
"On a scale of one to ten?" he asked. She stared at him incredulously.
"Why are you so interested in this?!"
"Because it's cool! I mean, Italy knocked you up, and for nine months, a tiny dude grew inside you and then you popped her out! You put another human being on this Earth! Tell me that's not cool!"
"It's not cool! It was agonizing and horrible and cold!"
"On a scale—"
"Twenty-four!" she sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. America laughed again and then glanced around at the family surrounding Germany.
Prussia and Japan were sitting in the chairs situated against the wall, both of them resting their heads together and fast asleep. Romano had sprawled out across their laps and dozed off. Italy had fallen victim to the sandman kneeling by Germany's bedside, his head laying on her arm and his fingers laced through her own.
"Jesus, you'd think the way they're sleeping that they were the ones who gave birth!" France chuckled, tossing his mane of silky, blonde hair. Germany smiled softly down at Italy, who was making small snuffling noises in his sleep.
"I'm not surprised that they're exhausted." she murmured. "Our daughter's birth was an...exciting one, to say the least." Across the room, Prussia stirred. His scarlet eyes fluttered open, and as he noticed the Allies encircling his baby sister, he jumped to his feet.
"Hey! What are you rat bastards doing here?!" he yelled, pointing an accusatory finger at the group. England help up his hands in surrender.
"Hold it! We're just here to congratulate and visit!" Prussia stared at him suspiciously for a moment before sitting on the edge of his sister's bed, looking as though he might pounce at any second.
"O...okay..." he said, watching them out of the corner of his eyes.
"What was so exciting about it?" America asked.
"Are you pregnant or something, America?" Germany asked, narrowing her eyes playfully. The young nation blushed deeply, and England whipped his head around to face him in shock.
"I-I-! No, o-of course not! I'm a dude!" he stammered, laughing awkwardly and rubbing the back of his neck. "Ha ha! What a kidder!" she smirked and then refocused her attention on the question.
"What was exciting about it?" she mused, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "More like what wasn't exciting about it? Or terrifying? Or nerve-wracking?"
"Huh?"
"It was awesome! My sister is like, fucking Hercules or something! She popped that kid out in the back of my car, no drugs or anything! She didn't even complain!" The Allies' mouths fell open, and Germany suddenly felt bashful.
"You delivered a baby in the back seat of a car?!" England asked, his respect and awe for Germany going up a few notches.
"After we had crashed too! She didn't even give a shit, she just gave birth like it was a freaking walk in the park!" The Allies were silent for a moment before America laughed and clapped a hand to her shoulder.
"Ha! Dude, that's amazing! Wow! Talk about a story to tell the grandkids, huh?"
"America!" England pinched his ear, embarrassed by his "little brother's" tactless behavior. But, really, it was America. What did he expect?
Another knock on the door broke the silent awe that had enveloped the room as the midwife returned, wheeling a small bassinet with a tiny pink inside.
"I've brought the little miracle back, happy, healthy, and sleeping." he said, smiling at the new visitors. Carefully, he wheeled the child to the opposite side of Germany's bed and then scooped the child from inside, grinning at her before handing her to Germany. "She really is a beautiful baby, Ms. Beilschmidt. The other midwives and I couldn't believe how much hair she has, though!"
"Shit, look at all of that! It's like a mop or something!" Prussia chuckled, brushing a finger lightly across his niece's chubby cheek. The baby didn't stir, but she snuggled deeper into Germany's ample bosom and sighing.
Even England couldn't help but "aww" over the sight.
"So what did you name her, aru?" China asked, peeking over Russia's shoulder and smiling dotingly down at the tiny nation.
"Lotte Axel Vargus." Germany said softly. "The soon-to-be strongest nation in the world."
The strongest nation in the world. She would train Lotte to be an excellent fighter and an even more brilliant military general. She would prepare her daughter for anything. Because, who knew? At the rate the world was going, they might end up in another world war by the time Lotte was five years old.
A very long chapter! I hope you liked it, because I certainly do!
Uh oh! Does America have a little crush on Germany? Will Russia get his hands on little Lotte and make her become one with him?! Hopefully not!
Leave a review, follow or favorite! Thanks a bunch!
Hasta la Pasta,
SausageMahoney98