Work Text:
It was a given fact in the universe that Prussia would probably always annoy Austria.
It was also something of a given fact that aside from brief periods of insanity, Germany would probably love Prussia no matter what he did.
When Prussia was young for a nation, but old for his times, he had become the nation of a small Germanic kingdom. He was half inside the Holy Roman Empire, and half outside it, and because of that he should have been at least somewhat under Austria’s control.
Instead, he had sauntered—sauntered, Austria thought with disgust—up to the other and grinned at him.
Austria opened his mouth but before he could say anything, Prussia rolled right over his words. “What’s up with you?”
Austria blinked at the other and then scowled. “I did not give you permission to address me informally,” he said coldly. “As I am the elder, and the one in…”
Prussia waved a dismissive hand at Austria’s anger. “Yeah, well, you—”
“I. Did. Not. Give. You. Permission,” Austria ground out in high formal German. Prussia just continued to grin at him, and things never got better after that. As soon as Prussia would open his mouth and address Austria informally, the other would become furious and often times their conversation would degrade from there.
The first time Germany stood before Prussia as another nation, he opened his mouth, formally addressing the other. “Thank you for your efforts,” he said quietly, blushing a little.
Prussia laughed, throwing his head back and went down on one knee to meet the other eye to eye. “Don’t ever address me like that again,” he said, still grinning. “You and me, we don’t have to talk formally like that. I’m justdu to you, okay? None of that Sie stuff.”
Germany had blushed and nodded, not used to addressing anyone informally, let alone someone so powerful or older than him. In time though, he got used to it, like he got used to Prussia using informal language toeveryone. While Germany continued to be strictly formal with everyone else, he would come home to find Prussia on the couch, beer already out and a book covering his face, and let himself relax into informality.
“You’re taking up the whole couch again,” he said, leaning down to whisper it in Prussia’s ear. The albino snorted, and brought his book down on his face enough to see the younger nation.
“Yeah, well, you weren’t home, so there was no one to fight over it for.”
Germany shoved at his legs. “I’m here now, aren’t I?”
Grinning, Prussia threw the book aside and grabbed Germany, pulling him down on top of him. “We can always share it,” he said, nuzzling his face in the corner of Germany’s neck and shoulder.
Germany rolled his eyes, and rolled them over, until they were both on their sides, squished onto their striped couch. “You really are something different,” he said, voice fond.
“Damn right I am,” Prussia said. “You are too.” He threaded fingers through Germany’s hair, mussing it and causing the other nation to shake his head.
