23:49:00
Nazi!Germany X Reader: Broken Promises
[Warning: The warning is in the title. If you don't like Nazi themed stories or stories set during WW2, this is not the one for you.]
'I wonder how he's doing... We haven't seen each other in months now...'
Staring out the window of your small apartment in Regensburg you watched as soldiers patrolled the streets, hoping to see one of them sporting neatly slicked back blonde hair and steely blue eyes, but none of them did. Every day for the past months you had been sitting and just staring, praying to one day catch a glimpse of him passing through the city.
You sighed. 'No sign of him today either.'
But you supposed that that had been the whole point of him sending you all the way from your comfortable home in Berlin to this rat hole. He must have planned this entire thing, sending you here knowing he wouldn't be passing through this part of this war-torn country.
You pulled the curtains, blocking out the rest of the world, then whirled around and started cleaning what little mess there was in your tiny one-room apartment. Meticulously you dusted every surface until it was dust free and practically sparkled. Just like he would have done it. You washed the dishes until the point where you could see your own reflection and swept through the entire room with your brush until the boards almost looked new. Well, as new as half-rotten wooden planks could look anyway.
You had made it a routine to clean your apartment at least twice a week, to remind yourself of him. Him. Your Ludwig, who was currently off fighting somewhere for the country.
The front door opened, and forced you to snap our of your thoughts. Listening to the footsteps you came to the conclusion there was no reason for you to use your broom as a blunt force weapon. You were proven right when the person whom had entered your home walked past the divider wall that separated the front door from the rest of the room, revealing a mop of pure white with a navy coloured cap resting on top of it.
“Gilbert, you almost gave me a heart attack!” you jokingly scolded him.
“Hey, it's not the awesome me's fault you space out and forget about checking the clock!” he played along.
“In any case. Were you able to get any food?”
“Ja, some.” He held up a medium sized bag that bulged just slightly. “It's not much, but it'll last the week, if we're thrifty.” [Yes]
“Danke, Gilbert.” You took the bag from him and started organizing what little food there was in the two cabinets that were in your kitchen area. [Thank you]
He smiled a bit. “Gern geschehen, Schwester!” He looked around and started laughing that strange laugh of his. “I see you've gone all Ludwig on our apartment again, [Name]!” [You're welcome, sister!]
A gentle smiled weaved its way onto your mouth, because despite the hardships you and your future brother-in-law suffered through at the moment, he still tried his best to keep you happy in the stead of his brother.
“Ja, someone has to do it, and you're certainly not doing anything about it, so it falls on me to keep this place somewhat decent.”
“Hey, I'm doing my part to keep this household alive too, you know!”
The two of you shared a good laugh, and you decide to start on dinner. Gilbert hadn't gotten much, but there was a good amount of wurstand potatoes, and even leeks. Potato soup with small pieces of wurst in it, it was then. The clinking and clanking can be heard as you shuffle about with pans and pots.
Gilbert headed towards the small basin that was in the corner of the room and started filling it up with cold water to just a few inches deep. He announced that he was going to clean the dirt and grime that accumulated over the week, off. To which you only made a small noise of acknowledgement to let him know that you heard him.
“But refrain from singing again. I don't want the neighbours to come in and complain again!”
“Ha-ha, very funny, Schwester!”
You let out a snort. “No, but in all honesty, Gilbert. No singing.”
“Ja, fiiine!”
“Danke.”
The steady sound of chopping and the slight bubbling from the creamy milk on the other burner was heard from the small kitchen area as you started chopping up the leeks and potatoes into small pieces so they would cook faster and last you longer, for the soup. Once you had finished cutting the potatoes and leeks you quickly dropped the pieces into the pot and then added some salt and just a little pepper to taste, then you just left it there to cook.
While you waited for the soup to cook and for Gilbert to finish cleaning himself off you stared off into space again completely lost in old memories. Memories of before this entire mess started and the only thing you and Ludwig needed to worry about were wedding plans. Those were good times, but now they seemed so distant. So far away, yet not. It had been no more than a couple of years since then, but felt so much longer than that...
You still remember the day when he, your beloved, was called and taken from your shared home into military service. You had been in tears, and begged for the officers not to take him from you, but of course it had done little good. They had simply brushed you off and ignored you. Had it not been for your husband-to-be you would not even have been granted a moment to say farewell.
You glanced down on your left ring finger where the simple silver band that signified your engagement rested. The promises that had been spoken that day... Every day the chance of them actually being fulfilled seemed to drift further and further away from you.
'When will this end? When will he be allowed to come home?'
A lone tear fell from your eyes and hit the floor. It was only then that you felt yourself being shaken, and you looked up. You were met by vibrant crimson irises that shone with worry.
“Schwester! Are you all right?”
Quickly regaining your composure you straightened yourself and said, “Ja, I'm fine.”
He let go of you but still stared you down. “If you say so... I just wanted to tell you that the soup has been calling for your attention for a while.”
“Scheiß-!” you exclaimed and turned back to the stove and stirred the boiling and bubbling soup. At least it didn't catch or burn. “Phew... That was close.”
“Ja, it was.”
“I'm sorry, Gil.”
“It's nothing.”
A silence blanketed the room, but it wasn't like before when it was a comfortable silence. This one was awkward and odd. You didn't look at him and directed your gaze slightly downwards and to the side.
“... You were thinking about bruder again, ja?” Gilbert finally asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
“... J-ja... I can't lie,” you mumbled. “It's so easy to slip into thinking about him, and wishing how things were different.”
Gilbert nodded knowingly. He knew exactly how you felt. He wanted so badly to turn back time too, but sadly that was not an option and so the only alternative you were left with was waiting the whole ordeal out.
“I know how you feel, Schwester, but there's nothing we can do about it. All we can do is hope he will return soon.”
“I know... But that doesn't exactly stop wishful thinking.”
He suddenly wrapped his arms around you. “I know, I know.”
The two of you just stood like that for a bit while before you pulled away and offered him a small smile. It was time you started preparing the sausages so you shooed him off so he wouldn't nick any while you finished the meal. To this he only chuckled and left you to it.
Seeing as the soup was coming along nicely you swiftly chopped up some of the sausages into small pieces and dropped them into the boiling pot. The scent wafted through the small condo, and filled it with a faint feeling of home. It didn't quite feel like home, not without your fiancé but all you could do was wait and hope for his safe return and that the war would be over soon.
~*~*~*~*
However, seasons came and went and before you knew it years had passed. The war was still raging on and was only getting worse and worse, showing absolutely no sign of stopping any time soon.
You and Gilbert were still waiting for your husband-to-be in your apartment in Regensburg. However, over the years your hope was slowly diminishing and it was painfully obvious on your face. Your eyes were dull and tired, there were small wrinkles around them as well, and your mouth that used to curl into a soft and youthful smile was now set in a bitter line.
Gilbert hated seeing the change in you, and prayed each day that the war would soon come to an end so that his little brother could finally come home. He also loathed himself for his helplessness as he was unable to really do anything to help you and forced to see your light steadily waning as the years passed.
The two of you had sent letters to Ludwig, but he had never replied to any of them and that just made your hope dwindle even more.
Sitting by the window you gazed onto the streets down below, praying with what little hope you had left that Ludwig would show up, and scratched into the wood of the window sill a line for the day with your nail. There was no pain and you didn't bleed but you nail was not looking very good and your fingers were full of blisters.
'Ludwig, please come home... I miss you so much. I wish this war would end,' you begged in your head.
Your eyes were red from crying the day before. The longer you waited the more often than not you cried yourself to sleep. It hurt to lose hope. It hurt to realize that your loved ones might not be coming home and that with each day that passed the chance of them returning became slimmer and slimmer until it no longer existed.
It almost physically hurt your to-be-brother-in-law to see you suffer like this while at the same time dealing with his own worry and stress. He raised his head to the sky and sent a silent wish to the whatever force existed up there.
'Please, let my brother come home soon! I can't stand to see [Name] like this any more! I beg, please let him come home safely.'
~*~*~*~*
Ludwig panted as he threw himself into one of the trenches of the battlefield, just barely dodging a bullet. He gripped his sniper, aimed and shot at his assailant and managed to clip their shoulder and shoot them in the stomach which effectively put them out of commission.
Finally getting the chance to breathe he leant back against the wall of the trench and thought of home. He wondered how you and his brother were doing. He knew you were alive at least because of the short letters he had received, but he didn't know how to reply so he never wrote back and with each day growing more and more dangerous out in the field he wished he knew the words to express how he felt. His time was running out, he could feel it...
Pressing the bundle of letters close to his chest he sent a silent prayer to get through another day before he climbed out of the trench with his gun in hand.
'Please, let me return home safe and sound...'
'I wonder how he's doing... We haven't seen each other in months now...'
Staring out the window of your small apartment in Regensburg you watched as soldiers patrolled the streets, hoping to see one of them sporting neatly slicked back blonde hair and steely blue eyes, but none of them did. Every day for the past months you had been sitting and just staring, praying to one day catch a glimpse of him passing through the city.
You sighed. 'No sign of him today either.'
But you supposed that that had been the whole point of him sending you all the way from your comfortable home in Berlin to this rat hole. He must have planned this entire thing, sending you here knowing he wouldn't be passing through this part of this war-torn country.
You pulled the curtains, blocking out the rest of the world, then whirled around and started cleaning what little mess there was in your tiny one-room apartment. Meticulously you dusted every surface until it was dust free and practically sparkled. Just like he would have done it. You washed the dishes until the point where you could see your own reflection and swept through the entire room with your brush until the boards almost looked new. Well, as new as half-rotten wooden planks could look anyway.
You had made it a routine to clean your apartment at least twice a week, to remind yourself of him. Him. Your Ludwig, who was currently off fighting somewhere for the country.
The front door opened, and forced you to snap our of your thoughts. Listening to the footsteps you came to the conclusion there was no reason for you to use your broom as a blunt force weapon. You were proven right when the person whom had entered your home walked past the divider wall that separated the front door from the rest of the room, revealing a mop of pure white with a navy coloured cap resting on top of it.
“Gilbert, you almost gave me a heart attack!” you jokingly scolded him.
“Hey, it's not the awesome me's fault you space out and forget about checking the clock!” he played along.
“In any case. Were you able to get any food?”
“Ja, some.” He held up a medium sized bag that bulged just slightly. “It's not much, but it'll last the week, if we're thrifty.” [Yes]
“Danke, Gilbert.” You took the bag from him and started organizing what little food there was in the two cabinets that were in your kitchen area. [Thank you]
He smiled a bit. “Gern geschehen, Schwester!” He looked around and started laughing that strange laugh of his. “I see you've gone all Ludwig on our apartment again, [Name]!” [You're welcome, sister!]
A gentle smiled weaved its way onto your mouth, because despite the hardships you and your future brother-in-law suffered through at the moment, he still tried his best to keep you happy in the stead of his brother.
“Ja, someone has to do it, and you're certainly not doing anything about it, so it falls on me to keep this place somewhat decent.”
“Hey, I'm doing my part to keep this household alive too, you know!”
The two of you shared a good laugh, and you decide to start on dinner. Gilbert hadn't gotten much, but there was a good amount of wurstand potatoes, and even leeks. Potato soup with small pieces of wurst in it, it was then. The clinking and clanking can be heard as you shuffle about with pans and pots.
Gilbert headed towards the small basin that was in the corner of the room and started filling it up with cold water to just a few inches deep. He announced that he was going to clean the dirt and grime that accumulated over the week, off. To which you only made a small noise of acknowledgement to let him know that you heard him.
“But refrain from singing again. I don't want the neighbours to come in and complain again!”
“Ha-ha, very funny, Schwester!”
You let out a snort. “No, but in all honesty, Gilbert. No singing.”
“Ja, fiiine!”
“Danke.”
The steady sound of chopping and the slight bubbling from the creamy milk on the other burner was heard from the small kitchen area as you started chopping up the leeks and potatoes into small pieces so they would cook faster and last you longer, for the soup. Once you had finished cutting the potatoes and leeks you quickly dropped the pieces into the pot and then added some salt and just a little pepper to taste, then you just left it there to cook.
While you waited for the soup to cook and for Gilbert to finish cleaning himself off you stared off into space again completely lost in old memories. Memories of before this entire mess started and the only thing you and Ludwig needed to worry about were wedding plans. Those were good times, but now they seemed so distant. So far away, yet not. It had been no more than a couple of years since then, but felt so much longer than that...
You still remember the day when he, your beloved, was called and taken from your shared home into military service. You had been in tears, and begged for the officers not to take him from you, but of course it had done little good. They had simply brushed you off and ignored you. Had it not been for your husband-to-be you would not even have been granted a moment to say farewell.
You glanced down on your left ring finger where the simple silver band that signified your engagement rested. The promises that had been spoken that day... Every day the chance of them actually being fulfilled seemed to drift further and further away from you.
'When will this end? When will he be allowed to come home?'
A lone tear fell from your eyes and hit the floor. It was only then that you felt yourself being shaken, and you looked up. You were met by vibrant crimson irises that shone with worry.
“Schwester! Are you all right?”
Quickly regaining your composure you straightened yourself and said, “Ja, I'm fine.”
He let go of you but still stared you down. “If you say so... I just wanted to tell you that the soup has been calling for your attention for a while.”
“Scheiß-!” you exclaimed and turned back to the stove and stirred the boiling and bubbling soup. At least it didn't catch or burn. “Phew... That was close.”
“Ja, it was.”
“I'm sorry, Gil.”
“It's nothing.”
A silence blanketed the room, but it wasn't like before when it was a comfortable silence. This one was awkward and odd. You didn't look at him and directed your gaze slightly downwards and to the side.
“... You were thinking about bruder again, ja?” Gilbert finally asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
“... J-ja... I can't lie,” you mumbled. “It's so easy to slip into thinking about him, and wishing how things were different.”
Gilbert nodded knowingly. He knew exactly how you felt. He wanted so badly to turn back time too, but sadly that was not an option and so the only alternative you were left with was waiting the whole ordeal out.
“I know how you feel, Schwester, but there's nothing we can do about it. All we can do is hope he will return soon.”
“I know... But that doesn't exactly stop wishful thinking.”
He suddenly wrapped his arms around you. “I know, I know.”
The two of you just stood like that for a bit while before you pulled away and offered him a small smile. It was time you started preparing the sausages so you shooed him off so he wouldn't nick any while you finished the meal. To this he only chuckled and left you to it.
Seeing as the soup was coming along nicely you swiftly chopped up some of the sausages into small pieces and dropped them into the boiling pot. The scent wafted through the small condo, and filled it with a faint feeling of home. It didn't quite feel like home, not without your fiancé but all you could do was wait and hope for his safe return and that the war would be over soon.
~*~*~*~*
However, seasons came and went and before you knew it years had passed. The war was still raging on and was only getting worse and worse, showing absolutely no sign of stopping any time soon.
You and Gilbert were still waiting for your husband-to-be in your apartment in Regensburg. However, over the years your hope was slowly diminishing and it was painfully obvious on your face. Your eyes were dull and tired, there were small wrinkles around them as well, and your mouth that used to curl into a soft and youthful smile was now set in a bitter line.
Gilbert hated seeing the change in you, and prayed each day that the war would soon come to an end so that his little brother could finally come home. He also loathed himself for his helplessness as he was unable to really do anything to help you and forced to see your light steadily waning as the years passed.
The two of you had sent letters to Ludwig, but he had never replied to any of them and that just made your hope dwindle even more.
Sitting by the window you gazed onto the streets down below, praying with what little hope you had left that Ludwig would show up, and scratched into the wood of the window sill a line for the day with your nail. There was no pain and you didn't bleed but you nail was not looking very good and your fingers were full of blisters.
'Ludwig, please come home... I miss you so much. I wish this war would end,' you begged in your head.
Your eyes were red from crying the day before. The longer you waited the more often than not you cried yourself to sleep. It hurt to lose hope. It hurt to realize that your loved ones might not be coming home and that with each day that passed the chance of them returning became slimmer and slimmer until it no longer existed.
It almost physically hurt your to-be-brother-in-law to see you suffer like this while at the same time dealing with his own worry and stress. He raised his head to the sky and sent a silent wish to the whatever force existed up there.
'Please, let my brother come home soon! I can't stand to see [Name] like this any more! I beg, please let him come home safely.'
~*~*~*~*
Ludwig panted as he threw himself into one of the trenches of the battlefield, just barely dodging a bullet. He gripped his sniper, aimed and shot at his assailant and managed to clip their shoulder and shoot them in the stomach which effectively put them out of commission.
Finally getting the chance to breathe he leant back against the wall of the trench and thought of home. He wondered how you and his brother were doing. He knew you were alive at least because of the short letters he had received, but he didn't know how to reply so he never wrote back and with each day growing more and more dangerous out in the field he wished he knew the words to express how he felt. His time was running out, he could feel it...
Pressing the bundle of letters close to his chest he sent a silent prayer to get through another day before he climbed out of the trench with his gun in hand.
'Please, let me return home safe and sound...'
---------------------------------------
The warning in the beignning is only for the fact that this was a Nazi themed story even though the wartime could be set during any war. I just want to be extra cautious because it's such a sensitive topic, and that's why it also took me so long to write this gift fanfic for my 300th watcher on deviantArt.
This was what my 300th watcher on dA requested of me when I asked what she wanted as a gift for being my 300th watcher. She wanted Nazi!Germany x Reader story with broken love as a theme, but since it's such a sensitive topic it took me forever just to come up with a plot for it. So, here it is. One year later, all finished and done with. I hope she and you all enjoy it! :)
Note: I do not mean to offend anyone with this story.
Disclaimer:
I don't own Hetalia, it belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya
I don't own you
I only own the story