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They shouldn't be treating me like this, Erzebet is so kind and loving towards me, she tries to teach me how to cook and listens while I ramble about books and whatnot, but why, why as she doing this, what am I bringing to the table that this two dont already have, Roderich is such an interesting man, he is prissy and uptight but he clearly tries, he puts up with me stealing his wife from him, he generally seems interested in listening to what I have it say, he puts up with me being around this house so much why, why, WHY.
It had been quite some time since the old married couple of Europe decided to accept a new person into their relationship, in itself it wasn't that strange, they had done this a lot over the centuries that they had been together, Prussia, Spain, Portugal, but this was different, those were all diplomatic marriages turned personal, this started personally, with a very interesting night out and the successive dates cemented Arthur as one of a set of three.
But that didn't mean all the paranoia and fear of rejection that Arthur here has been impartial to since forfuckingever went anywhere, in fact it actually got worse, you see, when a person is used to being betrayed whenever anything even remotely decent happened to them, they tend to grow suspicious about being in good circumstances, suspicion can very easily turn to paranoia as time wore on and nothing went ass up. Paranoia usually turns into either fear or anger; and Arthur couldn't muster anger against two people who had been so nice to him, even as he thought the two were planning some sort of great betrayal because that is just how shit works in his head.
No comment on whether he needs therapy or not everyone already knows the answer to that.
So it turned into yellow cowardice, as much as he hated retreating with his tail between his legs it was always better than anger, everyone had told him this, his anger was. Useless and made them dislike him more, and he did not wish to inconvenience Austria and Hungary more than he already had.
Being the absolute master of subtlety that he was rumoured to be, he started to be a bit more formal with the two, more than he already was in the first place, flinching a bit too much when one of them even brushed their hand on him than should be normal, there were a lot more closed doors and angry mutterings too.
He also started to speak less and less, claiming up when either of the two spoke to him, at first both Austria and Hungary thought it was a bad sign, maybe he didn't want to be a part of this anymore, but Hungary picked up him looking at the two longingly when he thought no one was watching, but averted his eyes immediately, he seemed to forget what he was talking about sometimes too when looking at the two in their odd nation form of married bliss.
"Arthur? Come sit down with us!" Hungary said cheerfully, trying to get Arthur to talk, said guy flinched as she rested her hand on his shoulder, she could tell he wanted to lean into it, so bad, but he seemed to be physically restraining himself from doing so.
He reluctantly allowed himself to be led to the kitchen table, which Austria was already standing at, icing a cake, not that it was any special occasion, he just wanted cake, which seemed to be a theme with him, no wonder he was tubby, but Arthur had to admit those desserts were fucking divine.
Finishing the final touches on the cake and patting his frosting-smeared hands on that one incredibly crusty apron that he is sure would be at least 30 years old, not like he himself was any better, the current jumper he was wearing was a good 4 decades old but it was clearly in better condition than that apron.
Anyhow.
The two sat him down opposite them, Austria looked far too good for his own good, even as his glasses were dusted with flour and icing sugar, and it stuck around in his black hair in a way that made him look like a bespectacled snow speckled raven with eyes made of amethyst.
Get your fucking head out of the clouds jesus.
Hungary, that perfect woman was no better for him, at least that's what he believed, she was wearing a very...how would you say this, homely outfit, still in her night dress with her hair standing up everywhere but still looking more human than Arthur ever could, and very pretty too with her soft expressions over her sharp facial structure, her bare and unshaven legs let out under her night dress for all to see, but she was here for business, he could tell by the way she seemed to be searching him. How he knew how to read her facial expressions was beyond him.
I should probably mention that it's like 10 in the morning, Austria just wants cake ok.
They're probably just going to kick me to the curb . Its what I deserve anyways.
"Arthur, what's wrong?" It was Roderich oddly.
He may have been a master of deceit and lies but he couldn't mask the quick expression of shock at being treated like a decent human being quickly enough for the other two to not pick up on it.
Looking like stone, with that unreadable face that not even France had learned how to decipher just yet,
"Nothing is wrong, what would make you think that."
"The fact that you are answering as so, but seriously what is wrong, you've been avoiding us both for some time?"
Hungary chimed in saying "and I know it's not because you're being you in general, so tell us?"
FUCK HOW DO I EXPLAIN I'M A WORTHLESS PIECE OF SHIT.
While Erzebet was looking at him and trying to decipher what the fuck was going on in that fucked up head of his, Roderich was cutting the cake, and putting them carefully in bowls for the three, completely disregarding the fact that it was 10 in the morning.
The largest piece was given to Arthur, something about him being too thin was probably the reason why the two seemed so adamant at making him eat so much, as if he deserved more than just what he needed.
(Once again no comment on the man needing therapy, we already know.)
Picking at his slice while trying to find words to describe him being a worthless piece of shit that doesn't deserve love without being just that blunt.
Both shared a worried look, they already had an inkling of what he was thinking, mainly because Hungary managed to ask around when they first started to date about his behaviour and habit around people who cared for him.
And apparently he was not good at all with dealing with any form of affection, believing that he either didn't deserve it or he was receiving it out of pity.
And when I say ask around I mean she asked Matt, who may have spent a bit too king phycoanalysing his family members when bored out of his ass.
When sharing this with Roderich, he found out that he had thought something along the same lines, being in on all of Europe's gossip and being in the exclusive class if the great powers did have its perks.
"I feel like an intruder between you two."
Arthur looked so vulnerable like this, keeping his eyes firmly trained at the table and forcefully keeping his hands from shaking under the table, even as he had a face as cold and hard as marble, the words were uttered softly and slowly, unsure.
"Oh Arthur, why would you feel like that?" Hungary inquired, looking not pitying but more concerned than anything else.
What how don't they get it?
"I, well, um...you two have been together since how long? Centuries. I just got here," breathing out slowly he continued "And you two are both far too nice to me."
There was a tense moment of silence in which the two confirmed their theories and Arthur felt like he was about to shit his pants, fuck why are they silent, did I say something wrong?
"Dear, it is normal to feel a bit strange innate relationship when you've only just started in one, and I doubt you've had that much experience yourself in other relationships either, but why do you feel like we're too nice to you, we're only really doing the bare minimum."
Choking slightly, Arthur objected "The bare minimum is just about tolerating me, this is far more than the bare minimum, you put up with me more than you should, listen to me ramble about whatever and whatnot, don't question me talking to thin air, you try to teach me how to cook and even let me sleep in your bed!" Now panicky "That is far more than the mere minimum."
After a few moments where Arthur tried to regain his composure after that little outburst, he was suddenly hugged from two sides, tensing up instinctively as he did so, but the two didn't let go, and eventually, Arthur let himself get swept into the soft embrace. He could smell the vanilla and various smells of baking from Roderich and that apron of his, he could smell the rose-scented soap that Hungary used every morning without fail.
This was, this was nice.
"Arthur you should never have to think that were accommodating you out of pity or any of that sort. We love you, both of us, and don't tell your silly little self that we don't." Roderich continued, now sounding a bit like a 5-year-old "Now eat your cake you asshole."
Feeling decently lighter after those dreadful thoughts were put to rest, he did indeed eat the cake, and as expected it was really fucking good, and he had a hankering for more before remembering it was now 11 in the morning, and they hadn't had breakfast other than cake.
Smiling fondly Hungary cleaned a bit of cake off both Arthur and Roderich, "Stupid boys."