Time and Time Again

~Time and Time Again~

As always, Gilbert’s closet was spick and span unlike a certain sloppy Austrian’s. Each suit was paired with its matching pants and complimentary shoes. Socks lay organized and tucked neatly away in a separate drawer, not a single pair unsorted.

Things haven’t changed, Gilbert thought. He knew that in the other room, his brother was probably getting ready for the meeting, too. Everyone he remembered would be there: Elizabeta, Roderich, Ivan, Feliks, Toris, Raivis, Francis, Antonio, Arthur, Alfred…

“Me,” he mouthed in a barely audible whisper.

Like an ancient reflex, Gilbert’s hand went to his chest. Beneath his light cotton dress shirt was an iron cross, a lasting reminder of what he had gone through in his distant past: unity, loyalty, and bravery.

Everyone had to start somewhere. Gilbert couldn’t quite remember when he came into existence, but he remembered that from birth, he had to fight to survive. The Swiss kid could relate. Born without any resources in the harsh climate, the only way to live was to be tactful or fight. In Gilbert’s case, he chose both.

“Gilbert, you ready yet?”

In an instant, Gilbert snapped up from his stupor. He must’ve spaced out.

“Ah, you know me, West,” he smirked. “I’ll be ready before you can say His Awesomeness.”

Ludwig looked like he was about to roll his eyes. “If you expect me to prove you wrong by actually saying that, then I’m afraid to tell you that I won’t give you that satisfaction, but I don’t think you want to break your punctual record, either.”

“Alright! Whatever!”

“Hmph,” Ludwig snorted and walked away.

Scheisse, Gilbert cursed. He might even beat me there today. No matter. The most important person always arrives (a little) late!

As he got dressed, he could hear some soft chitchatting from the floor below. The damn Austrian and Elizabeta must’ve arrived already. That would mean they would start leaving, but with Roderich in tow, they’d slow down just enough for him to catch up. Maybe Gilbert would be lucky and beat them, after all.

“Let’s see…” he mumbled as he checked himself in the mirror. “No loose strands, no wrinkles, five hundred percent awesomeness…Yep, I’m good to go! Gilbird! We’re going!”

In the corner of his room, Gilbert heard a masculine grunt. His loyal pet was waiting for him atop a small perch specially ordered and crafted for such a pet that could only belong to someone as awesome as himself. As Gilbert headed out, he heard the soft flapping of wings and then a small weight resting itself on his nest of soft white hair.

“Wouldn’t think of leaving without you,” he chuckled and softly pet his bird. “We’ve been through a lot, haven’t we?”

If Gilbert looked up, he might have seen Gilbird staring at his master with a look as though saying, “What’s up with the sudden sentimentality?”

“You wanna know?” Gilbert asked despite his pet remaining silent the entire time. “Everyone’s going to the meeting this time around. That Feliks jerk is going, too, you know. Remember him?”

Gilbird merely grunted.

“Of course you do,” Gilbert laughed.

When he came downstairs, true to his assumptions, Roderich was occupied with a cup of tea with Elizabeta sitting down beside him. As expected, the room began to fill with an aura of malice that could have suffocated the air, itself.

“What took you so long, Gilbert?” Elizabeta sneered. “Too busy looking at yourself in the mirror to notice what time it was?”

Gilbert only laughed off his old rival’s remark. “As if you’ve even left yet. Look’s like you’re grounded thanks to your stuffy four-eyed loser friend.”

“Gilbert, please behave yourself,” Ludwig growled. His brother knew that it wasn’t so much that he sided with Elizabeta, but she and Roderich were guests in his house. It wouldn’t have been fair to choose personal preferences over common courtesy—not that Gilbert was used to such practices.

“You guys are going to be late,” he smirked. “I’ll just give myself a head start, then. Eat my dust, losers!”

“That guy…” Ludwig sighed as his brother closed the front door. “Always doing what he wants whenever he wants.” He then turned his attention over to Roderich. “Not that I can only say those things about him.”

Elizabeta, who had previously stood up to meet Gilbert’s eye level, had taken a seat next to Roderich again.

“You know, after all of this time, I’m surprised he hasn’t changed,” she muttered. Both men exchanged glances before giving her funny looks.

“Er, that’s not to say it’s a good thing,” Elizabeta hastily added. “You remember how it was like, right? When they said they were going to abolish Prussia, I was really afraid that maybe Gilbert would have…you know…”

Amidst the awkward silence, Roderich cleared his throat.

“Based on what you’re saying, though, I have to admit: the meetings would get rather quiet without him around,” he huffed as he set his dainty porcelain teacup on the tray.

Ludwig and Elizabeta nodded in agreement.

“I thought maybe Gilbert wouldn’t have been the same—even if he hadn’t disappeared,” Elizabeta said. “It wasn’t even like the others. Could you imagine what it must’ve felt like to be picked apart and dissolved as if you were just some sort of bread thrown on the water? Ludwig, I must say, your brother’s got one hell of an ego if he can keep up his behavior.”

Gilbert’s younger brother shrugged. “Perhaps that’s what keeps him going. His people’s pride and loyalty to his kingdom was strong enough to keep him tied to this world. That must be it.”

“Funny how our bodies work,” Roderich mumbled as he turned his wrist as if to check that his physical state was still in tact.

“Roderich, are you done with your tea?” Ludwig asked. “We don’t want to be so late to the meeting that my brother will make fun of us.”

Elizabeta scowled. “Don’t be silly. That hooligan is going to make fun of us either way.”

“True,” Ludwig sighed.

“I’m ready,” Roderich answered.

“I am as well,” Elizabeta joined in. “We shouldn’t linger any longer.”

But before any of them could go out the front door, Ludwig stopped.

“Hold on,” he whispered. “Something’s fishy.” In an instant, he threw open the doors, ran to the side, and spotted his brother kneeling down underneath one of the windows.

Ludwig’s eye twitched. “Gilbert, were you listening to us?” Roderich and Elizabeta promptly joined him.

“What’s the meaning of this now?” Elizabeta asked. She did not look happy.

“Ah-ha-ha-ha!” Gilbert nervously laughed. “You guys have figured out my plan! I was going to watch you suffer your humiliation in being tardier than me the entire way, but you’ve found me out! You’re almost one percent of the awesomeness that I am!”

“Cut the crap, Gilbert!” Elizabeta growled. “Just admit you were listening to us! How much did you hear?!”

“Ksesese~” Gilbert snickered. “Enough to hear that you were worried about me!”

“Gilbert Beilschmidt, I’ll make you eat those words!”

“Enough!” Ludwig barked. “Both of you! Do you want to be late to the meeting?!”

At that, Elizabeta huffed and marched back to Roderich. Gilbert smirked and settled down.

“Sometimes I just wish we could have a normal meeting,” Ludwig muttered.

“Come on, West, what’s normal when I’m around?” his brother grinned.

“Nothing—unfortunately,” he answered unenthusiastically.

“You don’t mean that~” Gilbert said in a singsong voice. “And if you say otherwise, I have the evidence to back myself up.”

Everyone present knew what he meant. Those blasted diaries. Gilbert still hadn’t gotten rid of the habit of writing down every meticulous little detail of his life.

“Let’s just go,” Roderich suggested (though he wasn’t one to necessarily talk). “We’ll be even later than intended.”

“Not to worry!” Gilbert puffed. “The most awesome one can afford to arrive (a little) late!”

“If you say so,” the others groaned.

And so that was that. The meeting ran as smoothly as a meeting with every single representative present could run—although Ludwig had to drive over to Feliciano’s house to pick him up; apparently, he had forgotten all about the meeting and had slept well into the afternoon. Same old, same old.

During the intermission, Gilbert spotted the old make up of the now disbanded Soviet Union chatting in a corner. He couldn’t be sure of it from his distance, but he could have sworn Toris wanted to say something to him. He wasn’t able to predict what he might have truly said, though.

How awesome I am, I bet, Gilbert thought. I’m still around after all these years. You couldn’t get rid of me. Nope!

In another corner, he saw Francis alongside Alfred. Not too far away, Arthur was speaking with Yao. He remembered them during the last stages of his standing country. The motives they had at the time made him sound like a monster. “Nazi” this, “Nazi” that. Prussia existed as a military power and could only exist as a military power. It had to be destroyed. That was the end of it.

In the time between then and now, he had talked to them, of course. No hard feelings, no crude words—an awkward exchange of events, nonetheless. Things could be patched. Gilbert was still here, after all.

“Gilbert, get over here,” one of the rarer voices called.

There weren’t too many women at the meeting. Gilbert knew that voice as clear as crystal.

“Am I too awesome that you couldn’t take your eyes off me?” he asked with a cocky smirk.

Elizabeta made a face. “Like I’d ever say that. I just wanted to talk to you in private.”

“Private?” Gilbert repeated. “This is different.”

“It is,” his old nemesis agreed, “so don’t screw anything up.”

“What’s this about, anyway?”

“Let’s go outside,” Elizabeta suggested. “It’ll be easier to say what I have to say.”

Gilbert nearly flinched. “Could I at least get my diary? I think I left it in my coat.”

“Gilbert, what I have to say doesn’t need to be recorded. You may have a thick skull, but I know you’re not stupid. You’ll remember what’s going to be said.”

“Er— ”

But before he could reply, Elizabeta dragged him out of the meeting room. It wasn’t hard for the others to catch him leaving, a rare thing. Ludwig saw them, too.

“Some things don’t change,” he muttered under his breath.