Chapter Text
Eventually, the room began to fill with the sound of gentle chatter and the ruffling of fine robes. Candlelight played on silk skirts and glistening jewels as people moved around the table that stood in the middle of the room, extending left and right along an exquisitely decorated dining hall. Guests began to sit down after being led by an entourage of staff to their seats. Among these guests was Austria - a tall, slim man, whose presence commanded a quiet respect. After sitting down and shifting a little in his seat before removing his gloves, he smoothed the fabric of his trousers and looked up to glance at the company surrounding him. Familiar faces of Austrian high society - generals, landlords and lawmakers. On the opposite side of the table a group of Swiss noblemen sat and chatted solemnly of current affairs.
One figure stood out from the pantheon of millionaires before him. Straw-blonde hair glimmered with every movement of the man’s head. He seemed to be engaging in light conversation with his neighbour at the table, nodding and adding brief comments at long intervals.
Austria watched him, never attempting to hide the direction of his gaze. The other man brought his hand up to his neck often, attempting to loosen the stiff cotton jabon that flowed from his collar. Austria tried to think back to the time he last saw the other in such neat attire. Perhaps decades ago, at another formal event.
Allowing himself to stare, Austria let his thoughts take over his consciousness. With a delayed pause, he woke up, eyes meeting that of the blonde’s from across the table. They both looked away from one another, Austria with a dusting of pink forming on his cheeks as he looked down at his empty glass.
* * * *
Sunken into the background, Austria heard bells and mantle clocks chime merrily as people continued to talk over their meal. Being spoken at, rather than to, Austria endured a speech from a commander responsible for leading the army. He remarked on the recent losses for the country, raising his voice a little each time he mentioned the name, “Prussia”. Austria was scrupulously polite and well-mannered in all human affairs, striking all that he conversed with as a deeply educated individual. Some people were not intimidated by his demeanour however, and would talk to him as if he were a fellow soldier. He did not mind this, and looked forward to hearing stories of people’s pasts, desires and fears. In fact, it was only during conversations such as these that he felt as if he could really loosen up and shed the pretence of courteousness.
Listening idly to this commander talk, Austria noticed a movement in his peripheral vision, a rustle of fabric and departure from the room. After sparing a break from the conversation he found himself stuck in, Austria looked over to see an empty seat. The man he had been staring at had excused himself from the table it so appears. Turning back to the commander, Austria cleared his throat and pardoned himself, swiftly leaving the dining hall into the cool and deserted hallway. He paused and waited to hear the door being gently closed by a footman behind him. A moment passed, a rush of blood washed over his head and a shiver ran from his skull and down his spine. Turning slowly to the right, he began to walk down the hallway hesitantly, thinking to himself; "What on earth am I doing?"
Still illuminated feebly by candles, the hallway stretched on for an uncomfortable period. Austria reached the end and placed his hand on the handle of a sturdy, dark door that stood between him and the courtyard of the palace, the handle spreading its iciness to his skin. Letting out a small sigh, he pushed the door open and closed it gracefully behind himself. Turning around, he was met with those same green eyes fixed onto him.
“You knew where to find me.” Said the man, who was standing between two pillars, looking out into the still courtyard. Austria dropped his shoulders and slowly walked up to stand beside the man.
“Good evening, Switzerland.” He replied.
They were both facing forward, looking at the building ahead of them without much purpose. Another beat of silence followed before Austria shifted to face Switzerland. The latter cocked his head to meet Austria’s gaze.
“Is there something you want to tell me, seeing as you followed me all the way out into the cold?” Switzerland said dryly.
“You haven’t visited me here in months.” Replied Austria.
Switzerland scoffed and turned away, again reaching up to his collar to fiddle with the fabric. Austria stepped in front of the shorter man and moved his hands away from his neck, adjusting the collar to fit looser. Switzerland didn’t fight the gesture. He stared up at Austria with his arms hanging at his sides. When their eyes met, Austria opened his mouth as if to speak but hummed instead. A moment passed before he said anything.
“You let law dictate your own emotions, Schweiz. You know I’ve always pitied you for that, the way you let your staff tell you who you can and cannot see.” He said.They both stood face-to-face now, with Switzerland’s face illuminated by moonlight. He looked away with a furrowed brow, not knowing what to say. He let out a short groan and looked back up to Austria's glance.
"You know nothing about me." He spat before moving past Austria and walking to the door that led back to the long hallway. His steps rang out in the calm, cold night, heels striking the dim stones with strident frustration. The sound of the door's metal handle being meddled with jolted Austria out of his daze. He turned to see Switzerland pushing at the door and attempting to lift the lock simultaneously - an unsightly picture for any nobleman to be caught in. Austria watched him struggle for a moment longer before taking a step towards the other.
"It looks like someone locked it. We can go back inside through the other side of the courtyard." Austria suggested.
Switzerland stopped and rested his hand on the door in front of him in defeat, dropping his head lightly and pivoted to begin to walk around the building to another doorway. He walked past Austria without looking at him and folded his arms.
"Aren't you coming?" He asked loudly, still facing away from Austria.
The latter caught up quickly and sighed, looking down at his companion. There were a dozen things he wanted to say in that moment as Switzerland's face began to redden in the chilled evening air. All he could do was stare. His eyes wandered down to the jacket worn by the blonde, to his chest and arms - his body was inconspicuous in this attire, some may even assume that he was weak upon first glance. Austria reminisced on the way he had wrestled playfully with the other in the past. He seldom won, often ending the battle beneath his opponent, laughing and exhausted. They didn't share another word in that courtyard, as they had reached the entrance swiftly.
"You can try this one." Switzerland offered quietly.
Surely enough, the door creaked open with a push and the both of them huddled into the warmth of the palace's outer-wing. The stifled sound of chatter leaking from the distant dining hall was now accompanied by the cheerful melodies of formal waltzes. Switzerland sniffled and continued walking at a pace, the various ruffles of his outfit shaking as he took each step. He stopped, moved backwards and shifted to look into an open room that was situated along the hall that the two men found themselves in. Austria slowed down and stood at his side in silence as they both looked into the warmly lit library, the only movement being the uncertain flickering of the candles that shone from the walls.
"You turned my bedroom into a storage closet?" Switzerland asked flatly.
Austria smiled and scoffed.
"Your bedroom? Do you recall which one of us scraped together the funding for this guest-room? Besides, you haven't stayed here for..." Austria trailed off at the end of his sentence. He stepped into the room and walked to a glass case that held a select number of tactfully bound volumes, opening the door cautiously and removing a single book. It was thin and a deep magenta, small print was painted onto the front of the cover in gold, which sparkled softly in the champagne-coloured light of the room. Switzerland entered the room slowly, looking at the ceiling and the carpet, unchanged since he last lodged at the estate. His eyes were drawn to an artwork that hovered above the fireplace - a moderately sized oil painting depicting an idyllic mountain scene at dusk, the peaks captured in a rose-hued sweetness. His breath escaped him as he looked up to the image, his face relaxing and shoulders dropping. The mountain was easily recognisable as one of his own, a sight that he and Austria had shared during various escapades.
Austria sat down onto a chair standing besides the fireplace, the book in his hands open to an illustration. Switzerland shot a glance at him, a glance that asked; "Why?"
The brunette looked at the painting and blushed. He smiled weakly and looked back to Switzerland.
"It was meant to be a gift for you and your house." He replied, knowing instantly what the questioning look meant. Switzerland was now looking at the book and the drawing that was displayed. It was faint and grey, with a feeble wash of colour over the page. With subtle skill, the sketch showed a portrait of the two men standing besides one another in a formal pose, fashionable in years past with other aristocrats and royalty.
"This, on the other hand," began Austria. "Was not my idea. My leader, at the time, thought it would be a good idea to capture our likenesses together and display this for the people. Of course, before I could ask you to pose for a portrait we were at odds once more."
His expression grew cold at the last few words. Closing the book and setting it aside, he crossed his legs and let his head fall back onto the chair's headrest. Switzerland looked at him blankly - not a word came to him in that moment. Eventually, he rolled his eyes and perched himself on the arm of the chair, folding his arms. Shaking his head, he looked out of the window and back down to Austria, who seemed to be deep in contemplation and entranced by the dying embers of the fire ahead of him.
"I don't hate you," Switzerland wanted to say, as he shifted to face his company. "You can't have anything but longing clouding your judgement either."
Austria did not move, even as the other unfolded his arms and placed a hand down to hesitantly caress his shoulder. Switzerland hated the sound of his robes rustling against that of the other man’s overcoat. He paused as he felt blood rush to his cheeks, evidently agitated by the lack of response from Austria at his gesture. Switzerland recoiled, drawing his hand back and standing up.
"I ought to get back to the rest of the guests. They'll start gossiping if we're absent for much longer." He remarked sternly, turning towards the door.
As he prepared himself to step away, a hand gently grasped his own. Austria rose and moved to stand in front of his companion once more, this time illuminated by pleasant candle-glow. His expression softened as he reached down slightly to bring Switzerland's hand to his lips. Kissing the back of his hand slowly, Austria closed his eyes and led the other's palm up to his face.
Both of them stood still, silently, until the shorter man took his other hand up to Austria's face and ushered him into a coy kiss. Their lips met and parted quickly, as if they were two young lovers, embracing one another for the first time.